Issue - decisions

Before the Committee was a report by the Director for Communities, copies of which had been circulated to all Members and a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as Item 6.

The report outlined the opportunity to obtain funding from Central Government, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and use this to deliver against predetermined interventions relating to People and Skills, Community and Place and Supporting Local Business. The funding would assist Adur deliver interventions against agreed core themes which are pertinent locally. These include; Cost of Living, Community-led Sustainable Transport Solutions, Community Participation and Engagement, Fuel Poverty and Business Support.

Members were given an outline of the impact of the UKSPF and associated interventions for Adur District Council (ADC) with particular reference to those priorities that have been identified through other work strands and presented with the rationale for ADC to deliver the projects and agree relevant delegations and budgetary requirements to facilitate this.

Members welcomed the report and additional income and discussed the issue of governance. It was agreed that delegations be made but that Cabinet Member consultation be made part of the process.

Decision

That the Adur JSC Sub-Committee

a)    Noted that the s151 Officer had entered into a non-legally binding Memorandum of Understanding with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (SOS) regarding the administration and delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

b)    Delegated authority to the Director for the Economy and/or the S151 Finance Officer to enter into a binding Funding Agreement with the SOS for receipt of the funding (if required to do so) on terms substantially the same as those set out in the MOU and this report.

c)    Approved the virement of the UKSPF into the Council’s budgets and for that budget to facilitate accurate reporting for the receipt and spend of funds.

d)    Delegated authority to the Director for the Economy, Director for Communities and Director of Digital, Sustainability and Resources to develop a procurement strategy for the delivery of the interventions and to enter into any necessary contract, grant funding agreement, or make any required investment under the Council’s Treasury Management Policy, to enable the interventions specified in the report, providing the spend did not exceed the UKSPF Budget, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member.

e)    Agreed to an annual report being submitted to JSC to provide an update on the intervention delivery and monitor the spend against authorised budget.

Call-in

The call-in deadline for the decision will be 5.00pm on the 20th January 2023.