Issue - meetings

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the award to the council of £385,390 UKSPF funding for 2025-26 is noted;

2.    acceptance of the UKSPF funding is approved, noting the reporting requirements and delivery arrangements imposed by the Funder;

3.    the decision by Councillor Rowena Hay, Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, to allocate £102,848 of the funding to enter into two contracts to continue the delivery of Cheltenham Growth Hub is noted;

4.    authority is delegated to Councillor Rowena Hay, Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, in consultation with the UKSPF assessment panel and Cabinet members, to allocate funding for delivery of projects in line with UKSPF criteria and corporate plan priorities.

The Leader introduced her report, saying that the government announced one more year of UK Shared Prosperity Funding in its autumn budget, with a further announcement in December 2024 that in April 2025, CBC will receive an allocation of £385,390, being £72,155 capital and £314,235 revenue funding, to be spent on activities taking place between 01 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.  This is a tight deadline, and although not a huge amount of money, it could make a difference to a lot of organisations.  The recommendation is for allocation of the funding to be delegated to the Leader, in consultation with the UKSPF assessment panel and Cabinet Members. 

Members will note from the recommendations that she has already allocated £102,848 to two contracts to continue delivery of the Cheltenham Growth Plan. 

The Cabinet Member for Safety and Communities welcomed the award, which goes a little way to help support and deliver vital projects in the coming year, including NCLB and other brilliant initiatives.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the award to the council of £385,390 UKSPF funding for 2025-26 is noted;

2.    acceptance of the UKSPF funding is approved, noting the reporting requirements and delivery arrangements imposed by the Funder;

3.    the decision by Councillor Rowena Hay, Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, to allocate £102,848 of the funding to enter into two contracts to continue the delivery of Cheltenham Growth Hub is noted;

4.    authority is delegated to Councillor Rowena Hay, Leader of Cheltenham Borough Council, in consultation with the UKSPF assessment panel and Cabinet members, to allocate funding for delivery of projects in line with UKSPF criteria and corporate plan priorities.