Recommendations
North Yorkshire Council
Executive
17 December 2024
Mayoral Investment Fund – Acceptance of funding to deliver priority projects
Report of the Corporate Director of Community Development
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To request approval from the Executive to accept the funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) to deliver the priority projects as set out in the report below; and
1.2 For the Executive to delegate approval to the Corporate Director of Community Development in consultation with the Corporate Director of Resources and the Assistant Chief Executive for Legal and Democratic, to agree and enter into the final terms of the grant agreement with the YNYCA.
2.0 BACKGROUND
2.1 In June 2024, a decision was granted by the Director of Resources as Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance, the Executive Member for Open to Business, the Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing and the Executive Member for Highways and Transportation to approve a series of grant applications to the YNYCA for the use of mayoral gainshare funds. A copy of the decision report is attached as Appendix A for information.
2.2 Following this approval, applications for the following projects were submitted to YNYCA for assessment and were subsequently approved at their board meetings on 6 September 2024 and 2 October 2024:
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YNY Combined Authority Gainshare Awards |
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Contact |
Service area |
Description |
Amount awarded |
Council funding required |
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Project Delivery Funding |
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Selby Station Gateway |
Richard Binks |
Major Projects |
Improvement of the Selby station building – to accompany the Transforming Cities Fund scheme – in partnership with Network Rail / Trans Pennine Express |
£700,000 |
Funding for Selby of £22.1m approved as part of the Transforming Cities Fund project and included in the capital plan |
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Works to accompany the Harrogate Station Gateway TCF scheme |
Richard Binks |
Major Projects |
Works to accompany the Harrogate Station Gateway TCF scheme (signals and junction works and enhancements to Station Square and Queen Victoria statue)
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£500,000 |
Funding for Harrogate of £11.8m approved as part of the Transforming Cities Fund project and included in the capital plan |
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Scarborough Boat Lift |
Chris Bourne
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Harbours and Coastal |
Scarborough Boat Lift and associated works |
£700,000 |
Additional funding from NYC will be required to deliver this project. A report on the financial implications of the Boat lift and associated works is being prepared and will be reported to Executive |
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Electric Vehicle charging |
Richard Binks |
Major Projects |
Electric Vehicle charging in Northallerton / Bedale / Stokesley / Thirsk / Easingwold / Gt Ayton
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£175,000 |
No further match funding required from NYC |
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TOTAL |
£2,075,000 |
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Business Case Development Funding |
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Project |
Contact |
Service area |
Description |
Amount awarded |
Council funding required |
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Wyvern Link Road |
Alan McVeigh |
Network Strategy |
Finalise outstanding feasibility and design information to allow an implementation solution to be agreed for road link. |
£90,000 |
Grant is for feasibility works. Additional funding will be required to deliver the scheme. |
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Abbey Quarter, Selby |
Julian Rudd |
Regeneration South &West |
Extend TCF transformation from station to town centre / Abbey area. Full design and community engagement, to include HAZ sites (Back Micklegate / Micklegate) and the 2 NYC-owned commercial sites adjoining the Station Square. |
£150,000 |
Grant is for feasibility works. Additional Council funding will be required to deliver the scheme. |
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Accelerating Housing Delivery |
Hannah Heinemann |
Housing |
Feasibility and development work to bring forward housing sites to deliver 200 units. |
£80,000 |
Grant is in addition to the approved development budget in the HRA Business Plan. No further match funding required from NYC. |
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Ripon Connectivity |
Alan McVeigh |
Network Strategy |
Feasibility, design and options appraisal / business case model for: A flagship mobility hub at Ripon bus station, with expanded facilities Priority pedestrian links and active travel corridors |
£80,000 |
Grant is for feasibility works. Additional Council funding will be required to deliver the scheme.
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TOTAL |
£400,000 |
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2.3 A copy of the relevant decisions (minute reference CA24-41 and CA24-51) from the YNYCA Board meetings in September and October 2024 are attached as Appendix B, for background information (relevant NYC project approvals have been highlighted).
2.4 Discussions are now underway with officers at YNYCA to develop and agree a Grant Agreement for these projects, as is standard with grant offers of this kind. Prior to the Grant Agreement being signed, approval is required from Executive to accept the offer(s) of grant – due to the combined financial value of the grants.
2.5 As noted in the original
‘decision to submit’ report at Appendix A, the various
projects are at different stages in terms of development and
delivery. Where relevant, projects will be subject to further
internal approvals in line with the Council’s project
governance processes, which will include ensuring the Corporate
Director Resources is satisfied that there are sufficient allocated
budgets (including contingencies) to deliver the schemes in
question.
3.0 LEGALIMPLICATIONS
3.1 If approved, the Council will be required to enter into a funding agreement with the YNYCA. Delegated authority is requested to the Corporate Director of Community Development in consultation with the Corporate Director of Resources and the Assistant Chief Executive for Legal and Democratic to agree the final terms of the grant agreement with the YNYCA.
3.2 A condition of accepting the YNYCA grant will be that the Council has satisfied Subsidy Control legislation for each of the projects. Subsidy control legislation enables public bodies to provide subsidies for local economic growth purposes, provided distortion to competition in minimised. An initial assessment has indicated that the legislation will be satisfied however formal assessment will be completed by Legal Services for each project as part of formal grant acceptance.
4.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
4.1 Any funding in addition to approved budgets, required for the projects set out in paragraph 2.2 above, will need approval in line with the Council’s usual financial governance procedures.
4.2 The current status on match funding requirements is included in the table in section 2.2.
5.0 EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
5.1 An Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) screening has been undertaken and it has been determined that a full EIA on the request for approval of funding is not required; however, given the nature of some of the projects and the potential benefits they have for some of the protected characteristics, it would be beneficial to carry out full assessments on some of the individual projects at a later stage of the process, once funding is secured (see Appendix C).
6.0 CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS
6.1 A climate change impact assessment screening form has been undertaken and there is not expected to be a significant impact on climate change due to the acceptance of the funding. All projects will be required to undergo an environmental impact assessment (see Appendix D).
7.0 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATIONS
7.1 The recommendations will secure additional external funding to bring forward significant regeneration proposals in North Yorkshire and accelerate the development of a pipeline of future schemes to help meet local and regional objectives.
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8.0 |
RECOMMENDATIONS
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That Executive
approves: i)
to accept the funding
awarded by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority towards
the delivery of priority projects and development of
business cases for pipeline projects by North Yorkshire
Council ii)
delegation to
the Corporate Director of Community Development in
consultation with the Corporate Director of Resources and the
Assistant Chief Executive for Legal and Democratic to agree and enter into the final
terms of the grant agreement with the YNYCA. iii) that the funding allocations and responsibility for seeking any necessary further internal project approvals in relation to project delivery are allocated to the lead Project Managers and relevant Directorate/Service as set out in paragraph 2.2 above |
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APPENDICES:
Appendix A – Decision report by NYC Director of Resources for submission of the funding applications to YNYCA – June 2024
Appendix B – Minutes from the YNYCA Board meeting held 6 September 2024 and 2 October 2024
Appendix C – Equalities Impact Screening form
Appendix D – Climate Change Impact Assessment Screening form
Nic Harne
Corporate Director – Community Development
County Hall
Northallerton
Report Author – Kathryn Daly