Purpose

That Cabinet approve the receipt of the
MHCLG’s £20M funding over a two year period and for the
Council to act as the accountable body for the funding

Approve the project list subject to a future cabinet report
regarding the detail of the Station Gardens scheme

That Cabinet grant delegated authority to the Director of Economy
and Place in consultation with the Assistant Director, Legal,
Governance & Coroner and with the Portfolio Holder for
Regeneration & Housing to enter into relevant agreements with
Hopwood Hall College

Note that Cabinet will receive annual update reports showing
progress towards the objectives and outputs.

Note the changes to be incorporated into the capital
programme

Content

The Cabinet considered
a report of the Director of Economy and Place, which sought
approval to accept and spend government grant funding relating to
the Community Regeneration Partnership programme; this was a
government regeneration initiative administered through the
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) that
aimed to support improvements to UK towns.
 
The Town Funds Manager
was in attendance to present the information and to address the
questions and the comments of the Cabinet Members.
 
The Officer informed
that Rochdale was one of 20 Towns chosen to receive £20
million capital funding.
 
Community Regeneration
Partnerships were about identifying practical, actions to support
priority places to ‘level up’ and to help government
develop a more comprehensive understanding of places and the
challenges they faced.
Rochdale Borough
Council was required to act as accountable body for the
programme.
 
Resolved:
1.   
That the receipt of the MHCLG’s £20M capital funding
over a two year period be accepted and it be agreed for the Council
to act as the accountable body for the funding;
2.   
That the grant from MHCLG of £0.2m revenue funding be
 accepted and that
it be allocated to the Rochdale Creates Space scheme;
3.   
That the project list as agreed with MHCLG, at paragraph 5.6 of the
report be noted; it be also noted that there would be a cabinet
report to a later meeting regarding potential options for the
phasing and delivery detail of the Station Gardens scheme;
4.   
That the Director of Economy and Place be given delegated authority
in consultation with the Assistant Director, Legal, Governance
& Coroner and with the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration &
Housing and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate services to
enter into relevant agreements with Hopwood Hall College;
5.   
That it be noted that Cabinet would receive annual update reports
showing progress towards the objectives and outputs;
6.   
That the transfer of funding from Hopwood Hall College to support
delivery of other priority capital schemes as shown in the table at
paragraph 5.6 of the report be agreed.
 
Reason for
decision:
The Community
Regeneration Partnership programme was a government regeneration
initiative administered through the Ministry of Housing,
Communities and Local Government that aims to support improvements
to UK towns.
Acceptance of the
grant funding would enable the Local Authority and Hopwood Hall
College to progress key projects. The grant funding needed to be
formally accepted by the Council.
 
 
Alternatives
considered and rejected:
Do nothing.
It was a condition of
the funding that the Council acted as Accountable Body and provided
an “assurance” function to assist MHCLG to make sure
the money was spent appropriately.