Issue - meetings

That Cabinet approve:

a)         the addition of £267,369 within the 2025-2026 capital programme, funded by incoming Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grant, as detailed in paragraph 1.3 of the report; and 

b)         the proposed approach to managing the REPF and UKSPF grant schemes in 2025-2026, including the application, appraisal and award process as detailed in paragraph 1.9 of the report (Table 1), with delegated authority being given to the S151 Officer to approve individual grant allocations.

The Programmes Manager presented a report which provided an update on the proposed grants throughout 2025 to 2026 funded by the Rural England Prosperity (REPF) and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The selected list of local UKSPF projects, as approved by Cabinet on 18 February 2025, for delivery throughout 2025/26 was provided in Appendix A to the report. In addition, it was reported that the funding commitment to the area had now been formalised through a grant award to the Council from the East Midlands County Combined Authority (EMCCA).

The report also advised that in March 2025, the Government confirmed an additional 12-month extension to the REPF, known as the ‘top-up’ to UKSPF, for eligible rural areas. This would provide a further £267,369 of capital funding for the district this financial year, in addition to the £1.34m of UKSPF previously reported. The additional funding would also be passported by EMCCA to the Council and incorporated within the existing grant funding agreement, with a requirement to spend by 31 March 2026.

AGREED (unanimously) that Cabinet approve:

a)         the addition of £267,369 within the 2025-2026 capital programme, funded by incoming Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) grant, as detailed in paragraph 1.3 of the report; and 

b)         the proposed approach to managing the REPF and UKSPF grant schemes in 2025-2026, including the application, appraisal and award process as detailed in paragraph 1.9 of the report (Table 1), with delegated authority being given to the S151 Officer to approve individual grant allocations.

Reasons for Decision:

The proposed processes set out within the report facilitates prompt and flexible delivery of grants, considering the requirement for any unspent funds after 31 March 2026, to be returned to Government. In addition, the process established is objective, open and transparent, avoiding any conflicts of interest, as set out as a clear requirement within the Governments Grants Functional Standard, demonstrating a best practice approach to managing grants.

Options Considered:

There is the opportunity not to accept future REPF grant funding allocated to the district and to decline participation in the scheme. This approach has been discounted from the proposals outlined within the report as it would re-present a missed opportunity to invest in local rural communities, supporting the Council’s Economic Growth Strategy and Community Plan objectives.