Decision

The Council Leader has decided to accept a £20 million grant for the Earlestown regeneration project, ensuring the transformative development proceeds as planned.

Analysis

outcome: The Council Leader approved the recommendations to accept the grant and authorized the Executive Director of Corporate Services to sign the MOU.

summary: The decision involves the acceptance of a £20 million Levelling Up Fund (LUF) grant for the Earlestown regeneration project and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

topline: The Council Leader has decided to accept a £20 million grant for the Earlestown regeneration project, ensuring the transformative development proceeds as planned.

reason_contentious: The issue may be contentious due to the urgency of the decision, the significant amount of public funds involved, and the potential impact on the local community and stakeholders.

affected_stakeholders: Local community, businesses in Earlestown, council taxpayers, and the Council itself.

contentiousness_score: 5

political_party_relevance: There is no direct mention of political parties, but the decision aligns with broader government strategies and may have political implications at the local level.

URL: https://sthelens.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=177

Decision Maker: Council Leader

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: The report asks Members to note the urgent decision taken by the Leader of the Council for the acceptance of the Levelling Up Round 2 grant funding of £20 million for the successful Earlestown: Regeneration through Culture, Community and Heritage bid through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DLUHC and the Council. This urgent decision relates to the request by DLUHC for the MOU to be signed and returned by 3.00pm on Friday 10th March 2023, to enable the release of grant funding payments to the Council in the current 2022/23 financial year. The recommendation in respect to the urgent decision in the Cabinet Report will ask to “Note the decision taken by the Leader on [date to be inserted] under urgency powers to: (i) accept the grant funding of £20,000,000 from DLUHC for the successful Earlestown Levelling Up Fund Round 2 bid submission (This capital grant payment will be made under Section 50 of the United Kingdom Internal Markets Act 2020), and (ii) .authorise the Executive Director of Corporate Services to sign the corresponding Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the working relationship and financial and delivery expectations between DLUHC and the Council. The Cabinet report will further seek agreement for the transfer of the Council’s capital funding of £17.730 million from the allocated capital pipeline to the Capital Programme to match fund the LUF investment and to support the transformative regeneration programme in Earlestown town centre.

Content: The report asks Members to note the urgent decision taken by the Leader of the Council for the acceptance of the Levelling Up Round 2 grant funding of £20 million for the successful Earlestown: Regeneration through Culture, Community and Heritage bid through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between DLUHC and the Council. This urgent decision relates to the request by DLUHC for the MOU to be signed and returned by 3.00pm on Friday 10th March 2023, to enable the release of grant funding payments to the Council in the current 2022/23 financial year. The recommendation in respect to the urgent decision in the Cabinet Report will ask to “Note the decision taken by the Leader on [date to be inserted] under urgency powers to: (i) accept the grant funding of £20,000,000 from DLUHC for the successful Earlestown Levelling Up Fund Round 2 bid submission (This capital grant payment will be made under Section 50 of the United Kingdom Internal Markets Act 2020), and (ii) .authorise the Executive Director of Corporate Services to sign the corresponding Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out the working relationship and financial and delivery expectations between DLUHC and the Council. The Cabinet report will further seek agreement for the transfer of the Council’s capital funding of £17.730 million from the allocated capital pipeline to the Capital Programme to match fund the LUF investment and to support the transformative regeneration programme in Earlestown town centre. Accept the £20 million LUF grant funding and authorise the Executive Director of Corporate Services to sign the corresponding Memorandum of Understanding with DLUHC for the Earlestown: Regeneration through Culture, Community and Heritage programme.   DLUHC requires the Council to sign a Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the receipt of the £20 million Levelling Up Funding Round 2 awarded by 3.00pm on 10th March 2022. Signing of the MOU is a requirement in order to receive the Levelling Up funding.  The alternative option of not accepting the LUF funding has been rejected given the alignment of the Earlestown initiative to the St Helens Borough Strategy and the adopted Masterplan Development Framework and other policy frameworks. Non-acceptable of the LUF funding would also severely limit the delivery of the Earlestown regeneration programme and cause reputational harm to the Council having submitted a successful bid.

Date of Decision: March 10, 2023