Decision details

Owing to the need to manage scheme changes, including any necessary funding swaps to ensure full grant spend in advance of the next Combined Authority/Joint Committee meeting, the following delegations to the Combined Authority Chief Executive in consultation with the West of England unitary authority Chief Executives were granted at the 29 January 2021 meeting of the Combined Authority/Joint Committee:
- Approval of changes to funding profile and programme for schemes within the current Local Growth Fund (LGF), Getting Building Fund (GBF), Economic Development Fund (EDF) and Revolving Infrastructure Fund (RIF) programmes.
- Approval of the reallocation of funding for schemes in the approved LGF/GBF programme including swaps with the EDF, and exceptionally the Investment Fund.

The 29 January committee also provided the following delegation in the context of the Investment Fund programme:
- In advance of the next meeting of the Combined Authority Committee, to delegate the approval of changes to funding profile and programme for approved schemes to the Combined Authority Chief Executive in consultation with the Chief Executives of the constituent councils.

A number of recommended changes to schemes were subsequently identified for approval.

Appendix 1 sets out the changes requested for schemes in the LGF/GBF, EDF and RIF programmes. These include a number of further LGF funding swaps between schemes in the B&NES and North Somerset programmes, and between LGF and EDF. These seek to achieve a ‘no worse off’ principle for any individual Unitary Authority, seeking to maximise the use of total grant funding available for the region.

Appendix 2 sets out the proposed changes in the Investment Fund programme. These include:
- The planned drawdown of an additional £685k for Mass Transit from the ‘tail’ for this project to progress the Strategic Outline Business Case.
- A request to increase funding for the Masterplan for the Yate Urban Living Opportunity Area and Charfield of £80k which could be accommodated from the £2m allocation for masterplanning for which a delegation to the CEOs was granted by the Combined Authority Committee in December 2020 (see also Officer Decision Record 05.05.21)

- A request to draw forward a further £2.449m of the allocated funding for MetroWest Phase 2 to the business case development phase, with no increase in funding overall.

The Chief Executives of the West of England unitary authorities were consulted on these proposals and were in agreement with the decision.

1. To approve the changes to schemes within the current Local Growth Fund/Getting Building Fund, Economic Development Fund and Revolving Infrastructure Fund programme as set out in Appendix 1.
2. To approve the changes to schemes within the current Investment Fund programme as set out in Appendix 2.

Not applicable in relation to this specific decision, i.e. this was the option considered.