Issue - meetings

“It is noted that Carmarthenshire will receive £38.6m over the next 3 years through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and that a high-level regional Investment Plan has been submitted for approval. Please could the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism advise on the following:

1.     The process for agreeing which local projects go forward and who will be involved in these decisions.

2.     Arrangements for ensuring that the needs and priorities of all communities across Carmarthenshire are reflected in the approved projects.

3.     Whether safeguards in place to ensure that local priorities are not subsumed into those set at regional level, and what these safeguards are.

4.     The state of preparedness of proposed projects, which will obviously need to ‘hit the ground running’ to optimise spend and outcomes, particularly in Year 1.

5.     Whether the spend profile for the Fund is split proportionately across each year, with a smaller allocation in Year 1 because approved projects are unlikely to start until late 2022 at the earliest”. 

“It is noted that Carmarthenshire will receive £38.6m over the next 3 years through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and that a high-level regional Investment Plan has been submitted for approval. Please could the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism advise on the following:

1. The process for agreeing which local projects go forward and who will be involved in these decisions.

2. Arrangements for ensuring that the needs and priorities of all communities across Carmarthenshire are reflected in the approved projects.

3. Whether safeguards in place to ensure that local priorities are not subsumed into those set at regional level, and what these safeguards are.

4. The state of preparedness of proposed projects, which will obviously need to ‘hit the ground running’ to optimise spend and outcomes, particularly in Year 1. 5. Whether the spend profile for the Fund is split proportionately across each year, with a smaller allocation in Year 1 because approved projects are unlikely to start until late 2022 at the earliest.”

Response by Councillor Gareth John – Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism:-

“Thank you for the question and also for the opportunity of updating Council and the wider public as to the state of play with regards to Carmarthenshire’s plans to maximise the benefits and opportunities afforded by the UK’s Shared Prosperity Fund [SPF]. Cllr. Palfreman has been, and will continue to be, regularly updated during our regular one-to-one briefings which I, and hopefully Cllr. Palfreman, find beneficial and really productive. In Wales the SPF will be delivered via 4 regional areas with local government being given responsibility for developing a high level regional strategic investment plan and thereafter its delivery. So turning to the question:    

1.     Whilst it has been agreed that Swansea Council will serve as the Lead Local Authority for the administration of the £138m UKSPF allocation for the region, decision making is very much at local level, with each Local Authority adhering to their own constitutional arrangements and protocols. Carmarthenshire’s confirmed allocation is £38.6m which comprises of £32m core funding and £6.6m for the multiplied skills programme. There is an expectation that project proposals are taken to local Regeneration Partnerships (made up of public, private and third sector representatives) in each Local Authority for approval prior to Cabinet sign off. In Carmarthenshire, this Partnership has already been established, has met twice, and is made up from up of local stakeholders from the public, private and third sectors. It has been agreed to establish 3 thematic sub groups concentrating on communities and place, supporting business and people and skills. All projects will be considered initially by the Regional Partnership Sub Groups, then to the Regional Partnership itself before consideration and approval by Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet. Since the submission of the plan our officers have been working with the regional team to develop a consistent process, procedure and delivery model for the funding. The outline delivery models agreed at last Friday’s Carmarthenshire Regeneration Partnership are basically  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13

“It is noted that Carmarthenshire will receive £38.6m over the next 3 years through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund and that a high-level regional Investment Plan has been submitted for approval. Please could the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism advise on the following:

1.     The process for agreeing which local projects go forward and who will be involved in these decisions.

2.     Arrangements for ensuring that the needs and priorities of all communities across Carmarthenshire are reflected in the approved projects.

3.     Whether safeguards in place to ensure that local priorities are not subsumed into those set at regional level, and what these safeguards are.

4.     The state of preparedness of proposed projects, which will obviously need to ‘hit the ground running’ to optimise spend and outcomes, particularly in Year 1.

5.     Whether the spend profile for the Fund is split proportionately across each year, with a smaller allocation in Year 1 because approved projects are unlikely to start until late 2022 at the earliest”.