Decision ref
0037 2024/25
Decision date
21/08/2024
Portfolio
Inclusive Growth and Regeneration
Wards
Newton-le-Willows East, Newton-le-Willows West
Title
Creation of ‘Project Officer’ post (Newton-le-Willows Long-term Plan for Towns Programme)
Summary
This decision seeks approval for the creation of a 3-year fixed-term Project Officer post (SCP 29-32) to support the establishment and delivery of the Newton-le-Willows Long-term Plan for Towns Programme). The post holder will sit within the Growth Delivering Prosperity Team and will report to the Programme Lead (Earlestown) to provide alignment to the Council’s strategic regeneration priorities.
Purpose
The purpose of this report is to seek authorisation to create a 3-year fixed term Project Officer post (SCP 29-32) to support the establishment and delivery of the Newton-le-Willows Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme.
Background
In September 2024, Government announced their ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ programme, a core part of the Government’s levelling-up programme, which identified 55 towns across the country that will benefit from up to £20m ‘endowment style’ funding for investment in local priorities over a 10-year period.
As part of the Spring Statement (6 March 2024), the Chancellor confirmed an additional £400m to extend the programme to a further 20 towns across the United Kingdom, Newton-le-Willows was identified as a beneficiary.
Subsequent guidance has been issued by the former Department for Levelling-Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC), now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), detailing that each beneficiary town must create a Town Board and develop a Long-Term Plan. The guidance also detailed that each town would receive an allocation of £19.5m with £0.500m retained by DLUHC to cover programme management costs and the development of a National High Streets and Towns Task Force, which will provide support to Long-Term Plan beneficiaries.
To support the creation of the Town Board, capacity funding of £0.050m was released by DLUHC in April to support capacity building and community consultation to support the creation of a Town Board. Once the Town Board is appointed a further £0.200m of capacity funding will be released to support, capacity building, development of the Long-Term Plan and community engagement activity.
On 19 July, Alex Norris MP (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), wrote to the Chief Executive of the Council detailing that the deadlines required of Town Board’s and related development of Long-Term Plans were currently under review in recognition of the tight timescales imposed by the previous government. There is no suggestion in the minister's letter that the programme or agreed funding to support capacity building and development of the Long-term Plan would be considered as part of this review and the newly created Town Board have already taken decisions to move forward with their plans for Newton-le-Willows. An extract of the letter is as follows:
"I have therefore taken the decision to suspend the assurance of your governance proposals and the 1 November deadline for submitting that Plan – my officials are no longer looking to receive your submissions on governance arrangements or your Plan by the original deadlines. My department will be in touch in due course with further details on next steps and confirmation of the revised timelines. I would like to thank you for your patience during this period and for your continued championing of your community."
The Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme is a key regeneration programme for the Council and will complement the Council’s successful Levelling Up Round 2 allocation for Earlestown Town Centre. The Council is keen to ensure that the Programme is resourced adequately to ensure that the Town Board can deliver on local priorities that will be detailed within the Long-Term Plan. To this end, the Council has temporarily reallocated resource from within the Growth Delivering Prosperity Team to ensure that the Town Board met the challenging deadlines and is in the best position to create a Long-Term Plan and to secure funding from MHCLG.
To date, the Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme has been led by the Programme Lead for Earlestown supported by the Partnerships Officer and Project Officer for Earlestown. With the regeneration of Earlestown Town Centre gathering pace the Council cannot commit this resource to support the Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme in the medium-long term without additional resources and this was reported to the Growth and Regeneration Executive Board on 16 May 2024 and the Director of Legal and Governance agreed that the approval route for additional capacity as a Delegated Executive Decision (based on £50,000 initial capacity funding followed by £200,000 once the plan deadline has been met) to be signed off by the Executive Director for Place Services.
At the June meeting of the Newton-le-Willows Town Board, Board agreed to endorse the creation of a 3-year fixed-term Project Officer post, utilising Town Board Capacity Funding, to support the Chair and Town Board in the execution of their duties and responsibilities and to ensure the appropriate assurance and governance are in place on behalf of the Council. The post holder will sit within the Growth Delivering Prosperity Team and will report to the Programme Lead (Earlestown) to provide alignment to the Council’s strategic regeneration priorities. A 3-year fixed term contract was deemed appropriate as it provided alignment to the delivery of the 3- year Investment Plan that will be support to MHCLG as part of Long-Term Plan.
Conclusion
The Council is committed to the successful implementation of the Long-Term Plan for Towns programme for Newton-le-Willows. This programme will complement £28m investment in Earlestown Town Centre funded via a successful Levelling Up Round 2 application and Council investment. As the accountable body for the fund, the Council has an obligation, as outlined in the Levelling Up Funds Local Authority Assurance Framework, to ensure that the appropriate assurance and governance arrangements are in place for the Programme.
Given the Council’s governance and assurance responsibilities to oversee the programme, coupled with the Council’s in house expertise of managing complex externally funded regeneration programmes and Town Boards, it is proposed that a 3-year fixed term Project Officer post to service the programme is funded via the Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme. This decision has been endorsed by the Growth and Regeneration Executive Board at its meeting on 16th May and the Town Board at its meeting of 28 June 2024.
Risk Implications
Delivery of the Newton-le-Willows Long-term Plan Programme – If the Town Board is unable to meet its obligations there is a significant risk that the Council could lose all funding for the Long-Term Plan Programme. The additional capacity provided as a result of this decision will ensure that Town Board can meet its obligations. Whilst the government is currently reviewing the key milestones for the Long-Term Plan for Towns Programme, there is no suggestion in the Minister’s letter of 19 July that the Long-Term Plan Programme or funding for the programme is under review.
Measures to Redress Risk
To support and enact the proposal detailed in this proposal in a timely manner. From a wider perspective, risk management is an essential element of ongoing review and project management and is included within the Project Highlight Reports and returns to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Risks are mitigated through regular contact with the Town Board.
Declarations Of Interest
None
Equality Impact Assessment
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More information
Please contact Mark Bingley on 01744676789
