Agenda item

          The Sub-Committee had been previously advised that Halton, together with St. Helens and Warrington had submitted expressions of interest in being awarded Growth Point Status. The Department Communities Local Government (DCLG) had subsequently awarded funding for a period of two years of £4.2m. However, in July 2009 DCLG informed all Growth Points that in order to fund the Government’s Housing Pledge, there would be a reduction in Capital Grant to Growth Points in the next financial year. For Mid-Mersey this would mean a reduction in notified grant of £999,289 giving a revised total allocation of funding to our Growth Point of £3.2m.

 

          In order to direct the development and delivery of the Growth Point Programme, a Partnership Board had been established under the banner Mid-Mersey Growth Point Partnership Board. The Board comprised of five voting members and two non-voting representatives as follows:

 

St. Helens Council; Councillor Brian Spencer (Chair)

Halton BC; Councillor Marie Wright

Warrington BC; Councillor Bob Barr

Environment Agency; Area Manager (North)

RSL Representative; Peter Styche (Helena HA)

Homes and Community Agency (non-voting adviser)

GONW (Housing Policy Section) (non-voting adviser)

 

          The Board had met five times to date to approve the submission of the Community Infrastructure Fund bid, the Growth Fund bid, in the form of a programme development and to agree priorities for future action following the announcement of Growth Fund allocations.

 

          The Board had agreed the initial priorities for revenue and capital funding during 2009/10 and details were outlined in the report.

 

          Beyond getting the right structures in place to move the programme of development forward, the Partnership Board focus was on housing delivery, particularly in the current and expected economic climate. The following initiatives were being progressed:

 

-         Helena Housing had been asked to develop its suggested model for an affordable housing subsidy, including the potential to recycle grant monies for re-use by the Board;

 

-         RSLs had been invited to come forward with proposals to deliver new additional social housing;

 

-         fuller information on sites where development could take place and or continue within the Growth Point was being sought, alongside information on where sites were stalled or stopped;

 

-         a Housing Thematic Group had been set up;

 

-         a stakeholder group of RSLs had been established under the Chairmanship of the Board RSL representative along with a stakeholder group of housebuilders;

 

-         the commissioning of a new Strategic Housing Market Assessment for the Growth Point had been agreed by the Board;

 

-         a Green Infrastructure Thematic Group was in place and a framework developed to fit with the LDF;

 

-         a Thematic Group for Transport Infrastructure had been established and work was already underway enabling the successful scheme supported by the CIF to start early next year;

 

-         DFT Strategic Studies budget funding had been achieved for support towards feasibility studies looking at sustainable transport measures across the Growth Point that supports housing;

 

-         the draft Phase 1 Water Cycle Scoping Study had been undertaken; and

 

-         a Growth Point Manager, Richard Tully, had been appointed.

 

          RECOMMENDED: That the Sub Committee

 

          (1) note the grant of Growth Point Status and funding allocation from DCLG;

 

          (2) endorse the contents of the submitted Programme of Development (PoD);

 

          (3) support the establishment, structure and ongoing work of the Mid-Mersey Growth Point Partnership Board; and

 

          (4) support the initial funding priorities identified by the Growth Point Partnership Board and authorise the release of revenue and capital expenditure in accordance with the priorities as determined by the Growth Point Partnership Board.