Agenda item

The Board received a report on the work of the Programmes Office in securing external funding resources into Halton.  This included an update on the key activities and priorities, as well as emerging issues in external funding and funding statistics for 2023-24.

          The report outlined the following key priorities for 2023-24 had been:

·       embedding the new Programme’s Office function, including strategic work to develop a pipeline of regeneration projects and a system to support its delivery;

·       supporting the delivery of the Government’s levelling up agenda, including Towns Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF);

·       the development of a funding plan to support the delivery of the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan;

·       delivering a “Destination Marketing Programme” which was part of a Liverpool City Region funded scheme to promote Halton’s visitor economy and cultural assets; and

·       support the development of the Council’s Cultural Strategy and Heritage Open Days programme.

The report also described a number of key projects that the Programme’s Office were being delivered/monitored: 

• Destination Halton Marketing Programme;
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme; and
• Reconnecting Runcorn – Towns Fund Programme.

It was noted that Halton was the highest achieving Local Authority in the Programme and had received positive feedback from the LCR Programme Leads.

A Member of the Board raised a number of questions relating to external funding and it was agreed that these would be answered in due course.

Another Member asked if there was any available external funding that could be used to help bring back Halton’s Vintage Car Rally and officers agreed to explore opportunities. 

RESOLVED:  That the Board note the report.