The Cabinet has decided to allocate £1.5 billion UK Government funding to disadvantaged areas in Chirton and Percy Main and North Shields wards through the Pride in Place Programme.

URL: https://democracy.northtyneside.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=572

Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome:

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Purpose: Request agreement to accept Pride in Place Percy Main 10 year funding and act as the accountable body. To understand the details of the programme

Content: Cabinet received a report in respect of The Pride in Place Programme (PiPP).  Cabinet were advised that this is a £1.5billion UK Government programme which delivers up to £20million of funding and support over a 10 year period to disadvantaged areas across the UK.   Cabinet were advised that one of the areas to be allocated PiPP funding from the Government covers parts of the Chirton and Percy Main and North Shields wards, as was shown in the map at Appendix 1 to the report.  Cabinet were advised that the aim of the PiPP funding is to regenerate disadvantaged neighbourhoods through community-led decision making.  Decisions on how and where the PiPP funding is spent will sit with newly established ‘Neighbourhood Boards’, including the ‘Percy Main Neighbourhood Board’ (“the Neighbourhood Board”) which is in the process of being established.   The report advised Cabinet of the arrangements that will be put in place by the Authority to support the Neighbourhood Board, which as stated, will be responsible for making decisions relating to the PiPP funding for parts of the Chirton and Percy Main and North Sheilds wards (“the Neighbourhood”).   Cabinet were advised that the Government requires the Board to be led by an independent Chair, and for the Board to include residents, local business members, civil society and community organisation members.  The local Member of Parliament is also appointed to the Board.  The Neighbourhood Board will be supported by the Authority as the Board’s “Accountable Body” because the Board has no legal personality.     Cabinet RESOLVED to   (i)              Authorise the Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 Officer) to take receipt of all Pride in Place Programme Funding provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and (ii)             Note the areas of Chirton and Percy Main and North Shields wards that have been allocated Pride in Place Programme funding as shown in the map attached to the report, and (iii)           Note the appointment of Dame Norma Redfearn DBE as the Independent Chair of the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board by the Elected Mayor on behalf of the Authority and Sir Alan Campbell as the Member of Parliament whose constituency includes the areas of Chirton and Percy Main and North Shields included in the Neighbourhood Board, and (iv)           Agree to the Authority becoming the Accountable Body for the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board and to authorise the Chief Finance Officer and the Interim Head of Law to take all necessary steps to implement this decision, including, but not limited to, drafting an Accountable Body Agreement for submission to the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board for the Board’s agreement, and (v)             Authorise the Interim Head of Law in consultation with the Chair of the Percy Main Board to draft a Percy Main Neighbourhood Decision-Making Process for submission to the Neighbourhood Board for that Board’s agreement, and (vi)           Authorise the Interim Head of Law in consultation with the Chair of the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board to draft a Code of Conduct for Members of the Board and Arrangements for Dealing with Allegations of Breaches of the Code of Conduct (‘Local Arrangements’) for submission to the Neighbourhood Board for that Board’s agreement, and (vii)          Authorise the Director of Customer, Digital and Corporate Strategy in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer and the Chair of the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board to approve the submission of the Neighbourhood Board’s composition, boundary confirmation, and the Neighbourhood Vision and Pride in Place Investment Plans to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and (viii)        Authorise the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Percy Main Neighbourhood Board to develop and embed appropriate processes for the Neighbourhood Board to seek funding for its projects from the Pride in Place Programme funding held by the Authority as the Neighbourhood Board’s Accountable Body.   Reasons for the Decision:   This will enable the Neighbourhood Board to operate in accordance with the various guides published by MHCLG including the ‘Pride in Place Programme: governance and boundary guidance’ updated in March 2026.  The requirement for the Neighbourhood Board to operate through the Authority as its Accountable Body ensures that its decision-making will be in accordance with the Guidance which states that: –   “Decision-making will be led by the Neighbourhood Board, with the relevant local authority in each place acting as the accountable body for the funds at the start of the programme, with responsibility for ensuring that public funds are distributed fairly and effectively, and that funds have been managed in line with the Nolan Principles, Equality Act 2010, Public Sector Equality Duty and Managing Public Money principles.”   The Authority as the Neighbourhood Board’s Accountable Body will also be responsible for ensuring that all funding is managed in accordance with relevant public contract regulations including the Procurement Act 2023.   MHCLG in its guidance expects Neighbourhood Boards to publish a documented decision-making process, for all papers going to Board meetings to be published in advance of Board Meetings and for minutes to be published in accordance with well-established local government legislation.  The Authority as the Accountable Body will be able to support the Board to meet those requirements as well as its legal obligations referred to in the report.

Date of Decision: July 27, 2026