Decision details

To approve East Sussex County Council (ESCC) entering into updated grant agreements to transfer additional Local Growth Fund (LGF) monies to 2 projects in East Sussex as allocated by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP Ltd).

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

DECISIONS

34.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) Approve additional Local Growth Fund grant funding to the value of £0.36m to the Eastbourne under 10m Fisherman’s Community Interest Company (Eu10CIC) to fund the delivery of ‘Eastbourne Fisherman’s Quayside and Infrastructure Development project’;

(2)        Approve additional Local Growth Fund grant funding to the value of £1.49m to Plumpton College to fund the delivery of the ‘Skills and Business Support for Rural Businesses post Brexit’ project;

(3)        Subject to SELEP’s prioritisation of East Sussex schemes within its Getting Building Fund reserve pipeline programme at its meeting on 19 March 2021, to approve as appropriate the  additional grant funding allocation to the value of:

a.         £0.24m to The Charleston Trust to fund the delivery of the ‘Charleston's access road: removing the barrier to growth’ project;

b.         £0.20m to the South Downs National Park to fund the delivery of the ‘Seven Sisters Country Park Visitor Infrastructure Uplift’ project;

c.         £0.23m to Eastbourne Borough Council to fund the delivery of ‘Food Street’ project; and

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

Reasons

34.3     The Fisherman’s Quay and Plumpton College projects have secured allocation of the SELEP Covid Response Fund by SELEP at its Strategic Board meeting on 11 December 2020 and the funding decision made at the SELEP’s Accountability Board meeting on 12 February 2021. 

34.4     The projects put forward for the Getting Building Fund reserve pipeline have a strong alignment to the funding criteria and are shovel-ready projects which meet Governments objectives to boost the economy for the post-Covid recovery.