Issue - meetings

Recommendation: The Executive are asked to recommend to the Chief Executive Officer that under his emergency delegated powers he approve:

i.       NYCC acting as accountable body for the Community Renewal Fund in North Yorkshire;

ii.      Delegated approval be given to the Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services in consultation with the Corporate Director Strategic Resources and Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) and the Executive Member for Open for Business to select, finalise and submit applications with a value of £8.4m as contained in Appendix A of this report, to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for Community Renewal Funding in North Yorkshire; and

iii.    If funding is granted to all or part of the submitted projects the further administration and delivery of the Community Renewal Fund as Lead Authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services (BES) in consultation with the Corporate Director, Strategic resources and Executive Members to oversee the implementation of the fund.

  Considered – A report of the Corporate Director for Business and Environmental Services updating Executive Members on the Community Renewal Fund and seeking approval for NYCC to act as accountable body for the community renewal grant and for delegations being made to officers regarding the submission and administration of applications to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for the Community Renewal Funding in North Yorkshire.

County Councillor Andrew Lee introduced the report confirming that as part of the Government’s levelling up agenda, that along with the Levelling Up Fund, the Community Renewal Fund (CRF) was replacing previous European investment funding.  He also confirmed that the County Council had been identified as a lead authority for the CRF, and would administer the scheme.

It was noted that 66 applications had been received totalling £27.4m, and that 28 of those projects totalling £8.4m, had been shortlisted for submission to Ggovernment.  The aim of those projects would be to create jobs, invest in green and tech businesses, improve skills, develop community capacity and undertake feasibility work in lieu of the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund next year.

County Councillor Andrew Lee thanked officers for their work to date and gave thanks to the applicants for their array of high quality bids.

Having considered the report and the information provided at the meeting, Executive members agreed to recommend to the Chief Executive that using his emergency delegated powers, he:

i.           Give approval for NYCC to act as accountable body for the Community Renewal Fund in North Yorkshire;

ii.          Delegate power to the Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services in consultation with the Corporate Director Strategic Resources and Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services) and the Executive Member for Open for Business, to select, finalise and submit applications with a value of £8.4m as contained in Appendix A of the report, to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for Community Renewal Funding in North Yorkshire; and

iii.         Delegate to the Corporate Director of Business and Environmental Services (BES) in consultation with the Corporate Director, Strategic resources and relevant Executive Members, the further administration and delivery of the Community Renewal Fund as Lead Authority in order to oversee the implementation of the fund (subject to funding being granted to all or part of the submitted projects).

Resolved:  The Chief Executive considered the report, additional information provided at the meeting and the views of the Executive, and resolved to implement the recommendations within the report.