Decision details

22.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport. 

DECISIONS

22.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) approve grant funding to the value of £1.94m to Sea Change Sussex to fund the delivery of the Bexhill Enterprise Park North (following approval of the business case by the SE LEP Accountability Board);

(2) approve grant funding to the value of £2.918m to Plumpton College to fund the delivery of the Skills for Rural Businesses Post Brexit project (following approval of the business case by the SE LEP Accountability Board);

(3) approve grant funding to the value of £0.5m to Hastings Borough Council to fund the delivery of the Sidney Little Road Business Incubator Hub (following approval of the business case by the SE LEP Accountability Board); and

(4) delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to agree the terms of any agreements and to take all other necessary actions in respect of recommendations 1-3 above.

Reasons

22.3     The projects detailed above support the delivery of the SE LEP’s strategic objectives as outlined in the new Economic Strategic Statement 2019, the County’s East Sussex Growth Strategy’s strategic priorities covering 2014-2020 and East Sussex County Council’s core priorities in ‘driving sustainable economic growth’ and ‘making best use of resources by maximising the funding available through external bidding’. 

22.4     As a result of the award by the SE LEP Investment Panel of grant funding to East Sussex of £5.358m through the SE LEP Local Growth Fund Round 3b programme the Lead Member is asked to approve the allocation of funding to the following three projects (subject to full business cases being approved by the SE LEP’s Accountability Board): (i) £1.94m to Sea Change Sussex to fund the delivery of the Bexhill Enterprise Park North site; (ii) £2.918m to Plumpton College to fund the delivery of the Skills for Rural Businesses; and (iii) £0.5m to Hastings Borough Council to fund the delivery of the Sidney Little Road Business Incubator Hub.