URL: https://democracy.blackburn.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=933

Decision Maker: Executive Board

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose:

Content: That the Executive Board:   1.    Notes the scale and range of major growth programmes and initiatives in development and delivery in the Borough.   2.    Notes the priorities within the current BwD UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Delivery Plan, acknowledge the distribution of this funding in line with these priorities, as set out at Appendix A, and welcome the Government’s announcement to extend this programme by a further year for 2025/26, noting that this is with a reduced overall funding package, and further information is awaited on allocations and any associated spend and outcome criteria.   3.    Notes that a further report on future UKSPF funding seeking agreement to the priorities and deliverables with the funding made available will be brought to a future meeting along with details of terms and conditions that funding will be subject to.     4.    Note that the Government has extended the current delivery timescales for Darwen Town Deal, and our Blackburn Skills & Cyber Campus development and J5 M65 Growth Axis Programme, by one-year with a new deadline of March 2027.   5.    Note the Government’s intention to retain and refocus the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme, which identified Darwen as one of 55 places to benefit from up to £20M in new public funding, and await new guidance on how the programme will operate and note that a further report will be brought to a future meeting once the guidance is received seeking approval to use the funding and any conditions that may be subject to it.     6.    Note Government’s confirmation of the £20M Capital Projects Programme, awarded to Lancashire’s three upper-tier authorities, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire County Councils, in advance of establishing the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA), of which £6M is in support of the Blackburn town centre Tech Innovation Quarter and approve its inclusion in the Council’s capital programme.   7.    Note that Lancashire County Council are acting as the accountable body for this government funding and agree that the Council enters into a grant funding agreement with Lancashire County Council in respect of this funding.   8.    Give approval to a supplementary capital estimate of £6M (funded as outlined above) of which £4m will be allocated to the redevelopment of the St Johns Church and £2m will be used for the Blackburn Skills and Cyber Campus.   9.    Approve that, with Government’s agreement, the planned investment of up to £2m for the Making Rooms will now be funded from the £20M Levelling Up Partnership Programme in place of the investment in the AMRC, and not from our LCCA Capital Projects Programme allocation as previously intended.   10.Agree to invest an additional £1.5M in Council capital funding support for Blackburn with Darwen’s Youth Investment Fund (YIF) Programme to complement the £4.3M secured from Government, subject to confirmation that Council support will secure an extension to the Government’s current funding deadline to ensure completion of the YIF Programme, and;   11.Agree to invest up to £1M in additional Council capital funding support for the King George’s Hall Upgrade project, which is benefitting from £8M investment secured from the Government’s Levelling Up Partnership Programme for Blackburn.   12.Agree a virement of £2.5m from the capital budget for the investment in Blackburn Town Centre (Former Thwaites Site Development) to fund the additional investment in the Youth Investment Fund and King George’s Hall).   13.Note progress on the King William Street High Street Accelerator and Blakey Moor projects as outlined in the report.  

Date of Decision: December 12, 2024