North Yorkshire Council
Executive
16th July 2024
Long-Term Plan for Scarborough
Report of the Corporate Director for Community Development
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 The purpose of this report is to:
i. note the draft Long-Term Plan for Towns, ten-year Vision document for Scarborough
ii. based on the information supplied in this report and appendices, delegate responsibility to the Corporate Director for Community Development and Corporate Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Open to Business, to authorise Officers to complete and submit the three-year Investment Plan template when received from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) following the conclusion of the General Election
iii. delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Community Development and Corporate Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Open to Business, to submit the final ten-year Vision document for Scarborough and the initial three-year Investment Plan to the DLUHC by the 1st August 2024
iv. the acceptance of funding from the DLUHC as set out in section nine, to deliver the interventions contained within the initial three-year Investment Plan
1.2 The report provides information and feedback on the community and stakeholder engagement carried out to inform the ten-year vision and initial three-year Investment Plan.
2.0 SUMMARY
2.1 In October 2023, Government announced Scarborough was included as one of 55 initial towns to receive just under £20million endowment style funding over the next ten years through its Long-Term Plan for Towns programme. This provides an opportunity to build on the work of the Town Deal and other regeneration initiatives to achieve positive change for the residents and visitors to Scarborough. Towns have until the 1st of August 2024 to submit a ten-year high-level Vision document and an initial three-year Investment Plan.
2.2 Long Term Plan for Towns funding is part of the Government’s wider programme of reform and investment to level up the UK and is aimed at regenerating towns that are seen to face growth constraints due to their geographic location and/or socio-economic situation.
2.3 North Yorkshire Council is the accountable body for the fund and will be responsible for managing and monitoring the delivery of chosen interventions through the Long-Term Plan for Towns funding in partnership with the Scarborough Town Board.
2.4 A community led approach to the development of the Long-Term Plan for Scarborough is vital, and the Council and Scarborough Town Board have carried out extensive engagement with stakeholders and the public to ascertain what the community of Scarborough sees as its challenges and what they would like to see delivered through the Long-Term Plan for Towns. The results of this engagement have informed the content of the Long-Term Plan for Scarborough Vision and the initial three-year Investment Plan.
3.0 BACKGROUND
3.1 In October 2023 central government announced that 55 towns, including Scarborough, will receive endowment-style funding of just under £20 million over the next 10 years. The fund intends to address community needs in ‘left behind’ towns through empowering local people to work in partnership with public agencies and businesses to bring about positive change for the places they live in. This funding is split 25% revenue funding (£4.5 million, excluding central government programme administration) and 75% capital funding (£15 million) and will be received on an annual basis over the next ten years to support a ten-year Long-Term Plan, setting out the town’s vision and priorities for investment and regeneration, aligned to the following themes:
• safety and security,
• high streets, heritage and regeneration, and
• transport and connectivity
3.2 Alongside the ten-year Vision document, the Council and Scarborough Town Board must also submit an initial three-year Investment Plan which indicates what interventions the first £6.876 million (£5.306m capital and £1.570m revenue) funding will be spent on. Although referred to as a three-year Investment Plan, the first plan covers a period of 3.5years and provides funding for the remainder of the 2024/25 financial year and for years 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 as profiled in section nine of this report.
3.3 The LTPT provides an exciting opportunity to build on the work of the Scarborough Town Deal and aims to bring together community leaders, businesses, and local bodies to deliver sustainable, long-term improvements for communities which will enable investment into interventions based on evolving local needs and priorities. The duration of the funding provides a unique opportunity to contribute to a sustained change in Scarborough’s fortunes.
3.4 Following guidance issued by the DLUHC, the existing Scarborough Town Deal Board, which was established to provide oversight to the Town Deal programme, was reviewed and renamed the Scarborough Town Board (STB) to oversee the delivery of the new Long-Term Plan for Towns programme. The STB held their first meeting on the 12th April 2024.
3.5 It is a requirement of the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme that the ten-year Vision and three-year Investment Plan is established through a community led approach. This ensures that the plan is developed by people who understand the needs and strengths of the area and the fund is spent on issues that matter to local people. The Council and Scarborough Town Board have carried out extensive engagement which is detailed in section 5.
4.0 THE LONG-TERM PLAN FOR TOWNS PROGRAMME
4.1 The Government’s Long-Term Plan for Towns programme sets out a new plan to put local people at the centre of their town’s success and give them the long-term funding to change its future. Scarborough was one of the initial 55 towns to benefit from the Long-Term Plan for Towns funding over the next ten years to drive plans to regenerate the area.
4.2 Scarborough:
• needs to develop a Long-Term Plan to invest in and regenerate their town, based on the priorities of local people, and put to local people for engagement
• will receive £19.510 million in endowment-style funding and support over ten years to support the Town Plan, to be spent on issues that matter to local people.
• is to establish a Town Board to bring together community leaders, employers, local authorities, and the local MP to oversee and deliver the Long-Term Plan.
• needs to consider using a toolkit of powers, from tackling anti-social behaviour to auctioning empty high street shops, reforming licensing rules on shops and restaurants and supporting more housing in town centres.
4.3 The LTPT has three key Investment Themes that the ten-year Vision and Investment Plans must align to. These are:
· High Streets, Heritage and Regeneration:
Enhancement of town centres, making them and their buildings more attractive and accessible to residents, businesses, and visitors in a post Covid environment.
· Safety and Security:
Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour to turn around local areas and ensuring business can thrive.
· Transport and Connectivity:
Ensuring that residents can access high streets, jobs and local shopping.
4.4 The Council has received guidance from the DLUHC which outlines the measures the Council, and Scarborough Town Board, must take to oversee delivery of the LTPT.
4.5 By the 1st April 2024, a Town Board had to be established to drive the priorities for investment and steer the long-term vision for the town together with local people. Towns were encouraged to repurpose Town Boards where already established.
4.6 Scarborough already had a Town Board in place which was set up to oversee the Town Deal programme for Scarborough. As a result, the existing Board was reviewed, a skills audit undertaken and a call for new Board Member nominations was made to ensure the Board had a broad range of skills and sectors from across the town and is a partnership of public, local community leaders and businesses. The Board was renamed Scarborough Town Board (STB) with its Governance approved by the Council in March 2024 and held its first meeting under its new remit on 12th April 2024.
4.7 The STB is responsible for driving the development of the Long-Term Plan for Towns Vision and three-year Investment Plans, supported by the Council as accountable body. To do this, and in line with the three investment themes, the STB established three thematic working groups to create an aim and set of objectives for each respective theme and consider potential interventions that could be pursued under the LTPT addressing the challenges and needs identified through the engagement process.
4.8 The thematic working groups consisted of Town Board members, key Council officers from various services and other organisations, groups and business partners were also invited to join to ensure a wide range of input from all sectors into the creation of the LTPT Vision and Investment Plan.
4.9 As part of the guidance documentation received, the Council also received a List of Policy Interventions, attached at Appendix A. The STB can pick which Interventions or policy powers to include in the initial three-year Investment Plan to address the challenges and needs of
Scarborough.
4.10 The case for support for these Interventions has already been pre-approved by DLUHC, simplifying the LTPT process. The choice of Interventions is flexible so towns can focus on what best meets their local needs and towns as part of their LTPT Vision and Investment Plan. Towns can also take forward ‘off menu’ interventions outside of this list provided they submit an outline business case to DLUHC and address the three LTPT themes. Outline business cases for the initial three-year Investment Plan, will be developed within the first year of the programme.
4.11 Following the conclusion of the engagement activities and the work activity of the Thematic Groups, the STB was able to draft its ten-year vision, attached at Appendix B, and begin to consider the list of Interventions and projects it wishes to pursue as part of its initial three- year Investment Plan. The headings and content within the ten-year Vision document have been informed by the guidance received from the DLUHC.
4.12 Based on work completed to date with the STB, the list of likely Interventions the STB will pursue, and an interim draft list of priority projects being considered is found in Appendix C.
4.13 The interim draft list of priority projects has been derived from a prioritisation exercise carried out by the STB and the Council on an initial long list of over 45 projects. The long list of projects was collated from suggestions through consultation with Officers across the Council, through the work of STB Thematic Groups and feedback received from the community engagement.
4.14 Costs have currently been estimated for each of the projects on the interim draft priority list and further development work is ongoing on these to refine the capital costs. Additionally, more detailed consideration needs to be given to any ongoing revenue impacts they may have on the Council. This is necessary because the total sum value of all the projects on the list is higher than the amount of funding available through the LTPT initial three-year Investment Plan. This will potentially change the scope of projects currently contained within the interim draft priority list.
4.15 Additionally, further consideration needs to be given to how the projects will be managed and delivered so the Council, as accountable body, can provide assurance and security on the projects chosen.
4.16 Once these costings and considerations have been confirmed, the interim project list will be taken back to the STB for community endorsement and further prioritisation of the projects against the Objectives of the LTPT ten-year Vision to bring it in line with the available funding envelope, or match funding explored. This will take place following the 1st August but will be complete before the first monitoring period in January 2025.
4.17 Executive members will be kept updated on progress with the draft interim project list as it is refined. Should any key decisions be required such as to apply for or accept additional match funding, reports will be brought back to Executive.
4.18 The DLUHC are also providing a template for the three-year Investment Plan which will consist of an Investment Plan form and three year financial and output annex. However, the DLUHC have indicated that this will not be provided until after the conclusion of the General Election on the 4th July. As a result, NYC officers cannot complete this piece of work before this report needs to be submitted.
4.19 However, the guidance received confirmed that the following will be required for the three- year Investment Plan form:
· The priorities for investment, i.e., the challenges and opportunities that community engagement has identified as priority to address across the first three years of the programme.
· A narrative explaining the investment themes (safety and security, high streets, regeneration and town centres and transport and connectivity) that they intend to pursue in the first three years.
· The specific interventions the town intends to pursue in the first year of the programme, be that ‘on’ or ‘off’ menu; and, where applicable the powers as per the policy toolkit that the town will seek to use to deliver and/or supplement this activity.
· Detail on how the accountable body and Town Board will manage the funds including: project selection, capacity & capability, awarding funding, subsidy control, procurement, risk, environmental impact and fulfilling its duties under the Public Sector Equality Duty.
4.20 The three-year Investment Plan does not need to provide the Interventions, or where applicable the powers, it intends to pursue for years two and three or any specific project detail for all years by the 1st August but are encouraged to submit where this information is available. If not submitted on the 1st August, they will be requested as part of the six-monthly monitoring checks by the DLUHC.
4.21 Any required Outline Business Cases for ‘off menu’ interventions also don’t need to be submitted by the 1st August. These will be requested following approval by the DLUHC of the ten-year Vision and initial three-year Investment Plan.
4.22 Following submission, the DLUHC will carry out a light touch assessment on the ten- year vision and initial three-year Investment Plan following the principles of the Green Book five business case model.
4.23 The assessment is non-competitive. It is intended that feedback from it means plans can be approved and funding released. Where queries or areas of concern are raised during the course of the assessment, the DLUHC will either seek further information from the town in order to enable the assessment to continue, or conclude the assessment and set conditions of approval.
4.24 Upon approval of the Vision and Investment Plan, a memorandum of understanding will be agreed between the Council, as the accountable body, and the DLUHC. Following executing of the agreement, the funding will be released as outlined in section nine of this report.
5.0 CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN
5.1 North Yorkshire Council, as the accountable body, organised and led the engagement process in partnership with the Scarborough Town Board to ensure a comprehensive and community-led approach which is a key requirement of the LTPT. The engagement analysis report is attached in Appendix D. The consultation was undertaken in collaboration with other services from across NYC to ensure that the Vision and Investment plans were aligned with corporate priorities and complemented existing activities.
5.2 The engagement used both online and traditional face to face methods of engagement through the creation of an online survey under the Council’s Let’s Talk banner and open public events across the town led by the Council. This was backed up by a promotional campaign through social media and traditional media led by the Council’s communications service.
5.3 The engagement period was impacted by the pre-election periods for the new Mayor of the Mayoral Combined Authority and the recently announced General Election. However, despite these limitations, the Council and STB were able to carry out an effective and intensive period of engagement.
5.4 The Council hosted two public events in the Town Centre and four public events within different communities of the town: namely Eastfield, Barrowcliff and the Old Town. In total, through all face-to-face activities, 720 people were engaged.
5.5 The online survey: Let’s Talk Scarborough, also performed well with a total of 935 responses from 2,757 visitors to the survey page. The full results from the online survey will be presented to the Scarborough and Whitby Area Constituency Committee on the 11th July.
5.6 In addition to the activities mentioned above, the Council partnered with Coast and Vale Community Action (CaVCA), ARCADE, North Yorkshire Sport and the Scarborough Business Partnership. These organisations were chosen due to their established connections and credibility within different community segments, allowing them to effectively engage with people.
· CaVCA: Engaged with community and voluntary sectors, facilitating workshops, outreach events and public forums.
· ARCADE: Focused on cultural and heritage organisations, conducting a visioning event and open workshop.
· North Yorkshire Sport: Led engagement with younger residents through sport-related activities and workshops.
· Scarborough Business Partnership: Targeted visioning and prioritisation exercises with the business community
5.7 The key messages from this engagement have been used to inform the Long-Term Vision and three-year Investment Plan and are as follows:
Improving the Town Centre:
Residents expressed a strong desire for a cleaner, more attractive town centre. Specific concerns included the pervasive mess caused by seagulls and general grime that detracts from the town centre’s appeal. Enhancing the appearance of shop fronts was also highlighted as a priority to improve the visual aesthetics of the town.
Public Transportation Needs:
There is a significant demand for more frequent bus services, particularly for teenagers and the elderly in areas like Sandybed and Barrowcliff and better early morning connections to the Hospital for staff. Residents highlighted that current transportation options are inadequate, making it difficult for these groups to access the town centre for work, leisure, and other activities – often having to rely on taxis, which is not sustainable.
Balancing Resident and Tourist Needs:
Residents raised concerns about the balance between their needs and those of tourists. There is a call for more affordable and free activities for children and families, such as fountains and paddling pools that allow for easy supervision. This feedback highlights the need for amenities that serve both residents and visitors, ensuring that locals feel valued and their needs are met.
Public Space Enhancements:
The community expressed a strong desire for more public spaces, including a town square, fountains, and seating areas that encourage socialising and relaxation. Residents feel that these enhancements would create inviting areas where people can gather and interact.
Public Toilets: A significant number of residents requested the addition of more public toilets, particularly in busy areas like the town centre and parks. They feel that accessible and clean public toilets are essential for them to consider town centre visits with the wider family, as well as increasing dwell time individually.
Youth Provision: There is a strong desire for youth-led provisions and social spaces within the town centre to better cater to the needs of younger residents. This feedback also highlights the need to address youth anti-social behaviour through positive community initiatives.
Addressing Anti-Social Behaviour:
Residents are concerned about anti-social behaviour in the town centre, particularly issues related to alcohol and substance abuse. There is a call for measures to reduce these behaviours and provide supportive services for vulnerable individuals.
5.8 Plans will be put in place with the STB to ensure that continued engagement and dialogue takes place over the next ten years. This will be valuable to ensure that local residents feel included in the transformation of their communities and will be used to inform Investment Plans for years four to ten.
6.0 CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES
6.1 The Long-Term Plan for Towns will contribute to the following Council Plan objectives:
· Place & Environment
§ A clean, environmentally sustainable, and attractive place to live, work and visit.
§ A well connected and planned place with good transport links and digital connectivity.
§ Communities are supported and work together to improve their local area.
· Economy
§ Economically sustainable growth that enables people and places to prosper.
§ Culture, heritage, arts and sustainable tourism all play their part in the economic growth of the county.
§ New and existing businesses can thrive and grow.
· People
§ People are free from harm and feel safe and protected.
7.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED
7.1 The Long-Term Plan for Towns is a central Government funded programme. The Council must follow the stipulated guidance provided by HM Government for the delivery of the Long- Term Plan for Towns programme within Scarborough. Therefore, no other options were considered for delivering this programme of funding.
7.2 The Council could decline the offer of funding for Scarborough and not deliver any interventions for the town through the Long-Term Plan for Towns. This option is not recommended.
8.0 IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS
8.1 The programme presents a real opportunity to deliver interventions that meet a whole range of cross service objectives and therefore is likely to impact on several services that have both policy and operational interests in the themes of the LTPT. The table below highlights the service areas that are likely to be involved in the delivery of the programme. This list is not exhaustive and other services may become involved in the delivery of the Long-Term Plan for Towns depending on the individual interventions and projects chosen for delivery.
|
Service Area |
Activity |
Potential impact from the programme |
|
Finance |
Establishing budgets for any Council led projects. Processing of payments.
Processing of grant claims for projects delivered by external organisations.
General programme accountancy, cost exercises and monitoring.
|
An allocation towards staff time is included within the programme management budget to cover general accountancy and monitoring related to the overall programme.
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects. |
|
Legal |
Advice on governance arrangements and subsidy control.
Advice and completion of any contracts required for Council delivered projects.
Completion of any required 3rd part Grant Agreements for externally delivered projects.
|
An allocation towards staff time is included within the programme management budget to cover governance and assurance processes and general legal advice related to the programme.
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects. |
|
Localities |
Involvement with capacity building and community planning within our communities because of potential interventions chosen to be delivered with the funding.
|
Positive contribution towards service objectives.
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects. |
|
Communications |
Support for ongoing community engagement activities and publicity. |
An allocation towards staff time is included in the programme management budget.
|
|
Property |
Identification on strategic sites.
Project specific support and/or delivery on any related projects to be delivered through the LTPT.
|
Potential to contribute towards asset rationalisation.
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects.
|
|
Transport Policy and Highways |
Project specific support and/or delivery on any related projects to be delivered through the LTPT. |
Positive contribution towards service objectives.
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects.
|
|
Community Safety and CCTV
|
Project specific support and/or delivery on any related projects to be delivered through the LTPT. |
Positive contribution towards service objectives
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects. |
|
Culture and Archives
|
Project specific support and/or delivery on any related projects to be delivered through the LTPT. |
Positive contribution towards service objectives
Staff time in relation to any specific projects delivered through the LTPT will be charged specifically to those projects.
|
|
Procurement |
Once interventions have been chosen for delivery through the LTPT programme, any Council delivered projects will require procurement support to procure required works and/or services.
|
It is likely a number of interventions will require procurement support at the same time potentially impacting on procurement capacity.
Officers are to Forward Plan procurement requirements as far in advance as possible. |
9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
9.1 North Yorkshire Council is the accountable body for the fund and will direct the interventions in partnership with the Scarborough Town Board.
9.2 The total amount of funding provided through the Long-Term Plan for Towns over the next ten years is just under £20 million. The LTPT fund is split 75% capital (£15 million) and 25% revenue (£4.5 million).
9.3 The funding is endowment style funding and will be received annually over the next ten years based on the submission of three-year Investment Plans. The funding profile is as the table below:
|
|
Capacity funding |
First Investment Plan period |
Second Investment Plan period |
Third Investment Plan period |
|
|||||||
|
|
24/25 |
25/26 |
26/27 |
27/28 |
28/29 |
29/30 |
30/31 |
31/32 |
32/33 |
33/34 |
Total |
|
|
Total RDEL per place £(000) |
50 |
449 |
423 |
449 |
449 |
449 |
449 |
454 |
467 |
467 |
467 |
4,574 |
|
Total CDEL per place £(000) |
|
491 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
1,605 |
14,936 |
|
Total amount per place £(000) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
19,510 |
9.4 From the financial profile above, the £50,000 capacity funding for 23-24 was paid in December 2023 and a further £200,000 capacity funding from the 24-25 RDEL (revenue) allocation was paid in April 2024 and was approved by the Executive Member for Open to Business on the 22 April 2024
9.5 The Council and STB must submit its ten-year Vision and initial three-year Investment Plan by the 1st August to trigger the release of the remaining funding for 2024/25 and the funding for years 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28.
9.6 Upon approval of the ten-year Vision and initial three-year Investment Plan, the Council will receive the remaining first year funding for 2024/25 of £740,000 (£249k revenue and £491k capital), with payment expected to be made in Autumn 2024.
9.7 The funding for subsequent years is expected to be paid in April of each year subject to satisfactory completion of monitoring checks. There is a risk, if these monitoring checks are unsatisfactory, future LTPT funding releases could be withheld until these checks are complete. This risk will be managed as far as possible through the phased release and control of project budgets where schemes are deemed to be higher risk.
9.8 Within the initial three-year investment period, towns will have the flexibility to rollover their programme and capacity funding across those three years either by design, or if there is underspend within the year, that money can be rolled into years two or three with the certainty that the next tranche of funding will still follow. There is no flexibility to bring forward funding from future years.
9.9 The release of the budgets will be managed and subject to the agreement of the Council’s Regeneration and Growth Capital Board. This process will provide the governance and challenge to ensure that costs are carefully managed and controlled; and allow the release of budgets to be phased for higher risk schemes.
9.10 Any interventions to be delivered by external organisations will be monitored and controlled through a third-party grant agreement arrangement. The release of funding to external project sponsors will only be on submission of satisfactory evidence that the required outputs have been met.
9.11 Towns are advised not to spend ‘at risk’ on proposed off menu activities; expenditure for such interventions should be profiled in expenditure forecasts from the financial year 2025/26, to allow time for business cases to be developed and considered.
9.12 A further two investment Plans will be required to trigger release of funding in future years. At the end of the initial three-year investment period, there will be a ‘check-in’ point, to analyse progress of expenditure for the programme and delivery across the first three years. Subject to review by DLUHC, it may be possible to rollover some unspent funding from the initial three-year period into future years; however, towns are encouraged to maximise spend within each three-year period as much as possible.
10.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
10.1 The Council has general powers to undertake regeneration projects pursuant to the general power of competence contained in the Localism Act 2011 as well as the wellbeing provisions in the Local Government Act 2000.
10.2 The Council will be required to continue providing governance support to the Scarborough Town Board. The Council’s Assurance Framework will ensure good governance compliance between the Board and Council.
10.3 Any interventions delivered internally by the Council will follow the Council’s policies and procedures as set out within its constitution. This includes the Contract Management and Procurement procedures, and procurement and legal support for the procurement and contracting of works and/or services for projects will be sought in line with these procedures.
10.4 Any interventions delivered by external organisations through the LTPT programme will also be required to abide by the Council’s policies and procedures and will be managed and monitored through a third party grant agreement.
10.5 There are legal risks associated with the delivery of any interventions selected to move forward within the LTPT including ensuring the projects satisfy the Council’s Constitution, the Council’s Public Sector Equality Duty, local legislation, subsidy control requirements, public procurement regulations and land disposal requirements contained in the Local Government Act 1972. All expenditure and any subsequent works and / or the award of funding to external bodies will be subject to satisfactory assessment of compliance in respect of the above.
11.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
11.1 The Long-Term Plan for Towns aims to address challenges and needs of Scarborough by implementing interventions that improve the levels of deprivation seen within some areas and ensure that Scarborough is an inclusive and accessible town. An equalities impact screening has been carried out on the programme and concluded that there are no adverse equalities impact from the recommended decision. The Equalities Impact Screening Form is attached at Appendix E.
11.2 Any individual projects taken forward for delivery, including those being delivered by external organisations, will be required to undergo individual equalities impact assessment.
12.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
12.1 The STB and Council, encourage sustainability and climate responsible actions. During the work to create a Vision Statement and Objectives for the LTPT ten-year Vision document, alongside the three themes of Safety and Security, High Streets, Heritage and Regeneration, and Transport and Connectivity, sustainability was considered as a cross cutting topic.
12.2 Within the LTPT ten-year vision, the following objectives promote positive impacts to climate change:
Transport & Connectivity
• Delivery of a comprehensive network of high-quality cycle and walking routes
• Promotion of sustainable transport options
• Promote active connectivity to our natural environment and outdoor spaces
High Streets, Heritage and Regeneration
• Support diverse, high quality, low carbon residential living and student accommodation
• Create safe, green and attractive family friendly spaces for local people
• Create an environment for sustainable business growth and inward investment
Safety and Security
• Build a greater sense of civic pride in our communities
12.3 Any individual projects taken forward for delivery, including those being delivered by external organisations, will be assessed against the Vision and objectives of the LTPT and will be required to undergo individual environmental impact screening assessments.
13.0 POLICY IMPLICATIONS
13.1 The LTPT will be a ten-year high-level Vision for the town of Scarborough. It is anticipated that this becomes the new ‘blueprint’ for investment within Scarborough and will provide the direction for investment into the town aligned with the Council’s Corporate Plan, Economic Growth Strategy, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority priorities, and other key Council Strategies/Policies.
14.0 RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
14.1 The programme will be managed in line with the Council’s Risk Management Policy. The programme will be managed and controlled through the Growth and Regeneration Capital Board under NYC’s corporate governance. Programme risks will be reported to this Board through the Council’s Ideagen Risk Management System.
14.2 Individual projects/schemes that are chosen to move forward with LTPT funding will also follow the Council’s Risk Management policy and will be required to maintain an individual project risk register. Each project will also be uploaded to the Council’s Ideagen Risk Management System for monthly monitoring and reporting on its risks.
14.3 The DLUHC require the Council to report on the LTPT programme at six monthly monitoring intervals on the LTPT. Whilst we have not yet received detail on what will be requested as part of this monitoring programme, it is anticipated it will be similar to the monitoring in place for the Towns Fund programme which requires the reporting of top risks for both programme and individual project risks.
15.0 HUMAN RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS
15.1 Staff resources will be required to support the scheme as mentioned in Section 8. The Council will allocate an amount from the LTPT revenue funding towards programme management support. Where staff resources are required for the delivery of specific projects, these will be charged to those projects.
16.0 COMMUNITY SAFETY IMPLICATIONS
16.1 Safety and Security is a key theme within the LTPT and it is likely that projects will be chosen for delivery through the funding programme that address and look to improve safety concerns within the town. Colleagues from Community Safety and CCTV have been involved in the Safety and Security Thematic Group and are fully abreast of developments and the potential areas for intervention.
17.0 CONCLUSIONS
17.1 The LTPT funding programme presents a real opportunity for Scarborough to build on the work already delivered through the Towns Fund programme to deliver long term regeneration in the town that will make a real difference to our communities.
17.2 The LTPT funding programme also provides excellent prospects for Scarborough to lever in private sector investment into the town and present strong proposals to the Mayoral Investment Fund through our Vision and commitment to drive economic growth and improvements in the town.
17.3 The Town Board and Council have worked to tight timescales to prepare a ten-year vision and initial three-year Investment Plan, which has been affected by the pre-election periods but despite this, through close partnership working and a thorough engagement process, the Vision sets out a clear direction for long term growth, investment and improvement within Scarborough.
17.4 The result of the general election may have an impact on the future of the LTPT funding programme. However, the DLUHC have advised the Council to continue as planned. If a change of Government occurs and the LTPT programme is stopped. The Council and Town Board will still have a ten-year Vision and plan for investment for the town of Scarborough which can be used as a basis for any other future/different funding programmes that transpire.
17.5 Overall, this work is a positive step change for Scarborough and the Council and Town Board should maximise on the opportunities it presents.
18.0 REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
18.1 To ensure that the Council and Scarborough Town Board can deliver the Long-Term Plan Vision for Scarborough utilising the LTPT funding offered by the DLUHC and use it to also lever York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority Funds, other public funds, and private sector investment to drive real change in the town that benefits the whole community.
|
19.0 |
RECOMMENDATION(S)
|
|
|
i) Note the draft Long-Term Plan for Towns, ten-year Vision document for Scarborough.
ii) Delegate responsibility to the Corporate Director for Community Development and Corporate Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Open to Business, to authorise Officers to complete and submit the three-year Investment Plan template when received from the DLUHC.
iii) delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Community Development and Corporate Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Open to Business, to submit the final ten-year Vision document for Scarborough and the initial three-year Investment Plan to the DLUHC by the 1st August 2024.
iv) Accept the initial £6.87m of funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Homes and Communities to deliver the Long-Term Plan for Scarborough and initial three-year Investment Plan.
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – LTPT Guidance: Annex C List of Policy Interventions
Appendix B – Draft LTPT ten-year Vision document
Appendix C – Draft list of Interventions and interim list of priority projects for consideration
Appendix D – Engagement Analysis report
Appendix E – Equalities Impact Screening Form
Appendix F – Climate Change Impact Assessment Form
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:
None
Nic Harne
Corporate Director – Community Development
County Hall
Northallerton
16th July 2024
Report Author – Kerry Levitt, Principle Regeneration Officer
Presenter of Report – Nic Harne, Corporate Director
Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT IF ANY REPORTS / APPENDICES INCLUDE SIGNATURES THESE MUST BE REMOVED / DELETED PRIOR TO SENDING REPORTS / APPENDICES TO DEMOCRATIC SERVICES. Appendices should include an Equality Impact Assessment and a Climate Impact Assessment where appropriate