Issue - meetings

          The Board received a presentation from John Houghton on behalf of the consultancy Hope Street Strategy Company who were drafting the Vision and Regeneration Plan for the Plan for Neighbourhoods Fund (PfN), Runcorn. The presentation outlined engagement which had taken place to develop the 10 proposals, the vision and impact of the Plan and the next steps.

          In the Spring 2024, the then Government announced Phase 2 of their Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT) programmed which identified Runcorn as one of 20 additional towns across the country that would benefit from an allocation of £19.5m to invest over a 10-year period in local priorities.

          In March 2025, the LTPT was renamed PfN by the new Government and the timeline for delivery was pushed back to April 2026. The intention remained that the £19.5m funding (25% revenue/75% capital) over a 10-year period would provide long term certainty to deliver a range of interventions. A funding profile was provided at Appendix 1 and a full list of interventions, including sub-interventions was provided at Appendix 2. A robust assessment process for determining which projects to be taken forward would need to be developed and this would be undertaken by a sub-panel of the Runcorn Town Neighbourhood Board, alongside officers.

          It was noted that in order to access the funding, the Council would need to produce a Regeneration Plan for the agreed area by 28 November 2025,  along with a 4-year investment plan. Hope Street Strategy Company had been employed to develop the Regeneration Plan.

          RESOLVED: That the Board note the update and associated presentation.