Agenda item

The report provides an update on the UK Shared and Rural England Prosperity Fund Programme(s). It outlines the investment into South Kesteven’s communities and highlights the approach for the rest of 2024/25 until the programme’s closure on 31 March 2025.

The Leader of the Council presented the report on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing.

The Council received £3.9m from UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and a further

£540,460 in funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund for capital projects which are required to be delivered by the end of the UKSPF programme, 31 March 2025.

• Year 2: £135,115 was awarded in the financial year 2023 / 2024

• Year 3: £405,345 was awarded in the financial year 2024/ 2025

The Year 2 allocation within the REPF (1st April 2023 – 31st March 2024) was as follows:

Supporting Rural Business:

• Intervention 1.1 - £60,115 (capital grant funding for small scale investment in micro & small enterprises in rural area.)

• Intervention 1.3 - £25,000 (capital grant funding for developing and promoting the visitor economy

Supporting Rural Communities:

• Intervention 2.4 - £50,000 (capital grant funding for existing cultural, historic and heritage institutions that make up the local cultural heritage offers) 2.6

The Year 3 allocation within the REPF (1st April 2024 – 31st March 2025) was as follows:

Supporting Rural Business:

• Intervention 1.1 - £180,345 (capital grant funding for small scale investment in micro & small enterprises in rural area.)

• Intervention 1.3 - £75,000 (capital grant funding for developing and promoting the visitor economy)

Supporting Rural Communities:

• Intervention 2.1 - £100,000 (capital grant funding for investment and support for digital infrastructure for local community facilities.) 107

• Intervention 2.4 - £50,000 (capital grant funding for existing cultural, historic and heritage institutions which make up the local cultural heritage offer).

The Council would need to allocate and spend the remainder of the funding before March 2025, which had resulted in more board meetings being arranged.

It was noted certain criteria would be followed on how money was distributed, however, this was a good example of Government providing flexibility to local authorities to deliver fantastic projects and support the needs of communities.

A suggestion was made that both funds be publicised as much as possible, to reach out to communities and providing awareness of the funding which may be available to them.

One Member queried whether the funding could be utilised to promote a building and whether there was a minimum or maximum amount of funding that could be requested.

The average time of an application being received to being processed and funded was queried.

There was not an average time of an application being received to being complete. Once someone had applied, a sub-group would evaluate the application, the application would then move into the local economic forum and who would recommend approval/refusal to the UKSPF Board. Following a decision from the UKSPF Board, a payment would then be made based on whether all financial information required had been submitted. At an estimate, the process from start to finish would take a month.

The Leader of the Council urged Members to publicise this funding within their own Wards.

The Cabinet Member for Property and Public Engagement emphasised the raising awareness and Members hold a responsibility on assisting their communities in accessing the fund, which could be provided at Parish Council meetings.

Members shared successes where community groups had received the funding, as a result of useful support from Officers.

Concern was raised some Members may not know any details of the funding, how to apply, how to assist applicants in filling out the forms and which groups within the community to whom the fund may apply to. Further awareness of the funding was requested.

The Chairman highlighted the Council had applied as an applicant to request UKSPF funding for certain projects.

ACTION: For a briefing note to be circulated to all Members to provide information of the UKSPF scheme, money available and how to apply for the funding.

Clarification was sought around the timeframe of the scheme ending in March 2025. It was queried whether the funds had to be transferred by the Council, to a community group by March 2025 or whether the community group had to spend their funding by March 2025.

It was clarified that community groups would need to spend their funding by March 2025. This meant the Council urged any groups wishing to request funding for a significant or timely project complete an application with urgency. 

That the Committee:

Notes the progress made with the UK Shared and Rural England Prosperity Fund Programme(s) and endorse the opportunities identified to expedite the distribution of the funding.