Decision details

To allocate the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for 2025-26

Decision Maker: Leader

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decision:

To allocate the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) for 2025-26 to projects to benefit the residents and businesses of Cheltenham, being:

Project

Brief description

Awarded

Elmfield Open Space Capital Works

Self-binding gravel paths and associated SuDs and biodiversity improvements.

£28,000 capital

Davallia Drive Open Space Capital Works

Construction of self-binding gravel paths and swales to improve access into and through the open space.

£7,500 capital

Climate change business grants

Business grants for small (LEDs, insulation etc) and large (ASHP solar) installations, to support businesses achieve net zero (grants will require evidence of proposed carbon savings)

£35,655 capital

Enrich: Practical tools for a healthier lifestyle

The 2024 ENRICH pilot supported 140+ vulnerable individuals in Cheltenham, promoting health equity. Funding will expand sessions for children, families, and over-55s, reducing health inequalities and preventable illness.

£25,000 revenue

Building De-carbonisation reports for The Wilson and the Crematorium

To devise costed plans to reduce carbon in our most carbon intensive buildings, using the Green Deal amongst other funding strategies to support delivery of plans.

£60,000 revenue

Flood Warden Network

Flood warden volunteer network for community resilience to allow continued support and training for the flood warden volunteer network

£10,000 revenue

ESRI software – climate risk assessment

Completing a Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) on ARC GIS Pro (provided by ESRI) - annual licence cost

£2,900 revenue

Grown in Cheltenham

Grown in Cheltenham is a targeted growth programme to support promising local SMEs to maximise their economic and impact potential.

£18,000 revenue

Marketing and events to support climate change initiatives

Promotional and marketing materials targeting and supporting local Cheltenham based businesses to achieve net zero goals.

£5,000 revenue

Tree strategy

CBC manages 183 sites and across these 5,751 trees. The Tree Strategy will be the first of its kind for the borough and county, and will provide a valuable resource that maps maturity, condition and diversity.

£10,000 revenue

Heritage strategy

Many places that have adopted a heritage strategy concentrate almost exclusively on the built environment. To make it more relevant to our residents and communities this strategy would look to encompass people, events and objects of significance to Cheltenham’s unique identity - telling the Cheltenham story.

£10,000 revenue

Playing pitch assessments

To commission detailed pitch assessments of the five council-owned sites that need investment to identify improvements required to sustain the level of activity and ensure these are accessible to all.

£12,500 revenue

Youth Activity Pass

The NCLB Youth Activity Pass will give less well-off young people the chance to improve their physical and mental health through accessing a wide range of activities

£20,072 revenue

School Ready Scheme

A project to fund the purchase of primary and secondary school uniforms and equipment to support families for whom the cost of this is prohibitive. This would be supported by events for the community to attend which will then provide access to other services offering financial support.

£7,500 revenue

Leckhampton Hills SSSI management plan

Renew the biological and geological management plan for Leckhampton Hill. This will help preserve and enhance the calcareous grassland escarpment, and other significant habitats and geological features across the site.

£15,000 revenue

 

 




Reasons for the decision:

Cheltenham Borough Council is allocated £385,390 UKSPF funding for 2025-26 to deliver a range of projects within agreed objectives set out here: UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-26: Technical note - GOV.UK

£102,848 of the funding has already been allocated towards delivery of Cheltenham Growth Hub. This was subject to a decision taken by Councillor Martin Horwood (Decision - To enter into two contracts to continue delivery of Growth Hub business support - Modern Council).

4% of the revenue allocation (£15,415) may be retained by the council as a contribution to the costs of administrating the delivery of the funding.

Authority for allocation of the balance was delegated to Councillor Rowena Hay at the Cabinet meeting on 11 March 2025 (Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday, 11th March, 2025, 6.00 pm - Modern Council). Decisions on funding have been taken in consultation with the UKSPF assessment panel and Cabinet members and projects to be funded are in line with both the UKSPF priorities and the objectives of the Cheltenham Corporate Plan.

Alternative options considered:

To decide not to award the funding.

As UKSPF funding is allocated to all authorities across the country, the decision not to award the funding or to spend it would lead to this funding being returned to MHCLG and the benefit of the outputs of the projects not being received by Cheltenham residents and businesses.

Declarations: None.

Contact: Helen Mole, Head of Place Marketing and Inward Investment Email: [email protected].

Publication date: 10/04/2025

Date of decision: 10/04/2025

Effective from: 17/04/2025

Accompanying Documents: