The Board received a report from the Strategic Director – Enterprise,
Community and Resources, which updated Members on the different stages of the
Runcorn Old Town Investment Plan (ROTIP) and the approvals
required going forward.
Runcorn was one of 101 towns invited by Government to develop proposals
for a ‘Town Deal’ and following submission of the Town Investment Plan, had
been offered an award of up to £23.6m.
The objective of the Towns Fund Programme was to drive the sustainable
economic regeneration of towns to support long term economic and productivity
growth. A Town Deal was a three way agreement in principle between Government, the
Local Authority and the Town Deal Board.
The report set out the next steps required to progress and implement the
Town Deal for Runcorn and authority was sought to progress the Town Deal in the
Council’s capacity as the ‘Accountable Body’ to the Department for Levelling
Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and as part of the Council’s role on the
Town Deal Board. Attached to the report was Appendix 1 – Heads of Terms for the Town Deal offered by
Government, which included the list of projects, and Appendix 2 – the Local
Assurance Framework document for the Runcorn Town Deal for which approval was
sought, so that the business cases could be developed and signed off.
RESOLVED: That the Board
1)
approves
the Local Assurance Framework for the development and signing off on project
business cases;
2)
delegates
authority to the Operational Director for Resources (Section 151 Officer) in
consultation with the Operational Director – Economy, Enterprise and Property
and Portfolio Holders for Major Projects and Corporate Services, to approve the
Town Deal Business Cases in the Council’s capacity as the Accountable Body, to
be developed and submitted to Government by 4 August 2022;
3)
in
consultation with the Town Deal Board and Deputy Leader and the Portfolio
Holder for Corporate Services, authority be delegated to the Operational
Director – Economy, Enterprise and Property, and Section 151 Officer, to
authorise the expenditure of the 5% Towns Fund advance in line with the agreed
Towns Fund priorities; and
4)
delegate
authority to the Operational Director Economy, Enterprise and Property and
Section 151 Officer, to agree and complete Funding Agreements with partners
that will deliver Town Deal projects on behalf of the Council, as the
Accountable body for the Towns Fund Programme.