Agenda item

To receive a report.

The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is Central Government funding provided to local authorities to enable them to support businesses through and as they recover from the pandemic. 

An initial award of funding (£1.8 million) was received by TRDC in October 2020. These monies had to be spent (or committed) by July 2021 in order for an additional amount of funding to be received. 

This report identified a number of projects to support businesses and the economy in TRDC and seeks agreement for the ARG funding to be committed to these projects.  This would enable the projects to commence and businesses to be supported.

The Head of Regulatory Services advised that an extra £829,000 had been received which had to be spent by the end of March.  We received that because we had committed/spent the previous funding.  The report identified those projects that officers had been working through to look at securing that spend.  It was evident we would need additional support to help with these projects up to the end of March to monitor the existing projects and any new projects which get approved.

Members raised the following points:

•   Wanted to check the Council were not taking any administrative charge out of the grant monies.

•   There seemed to be quite a few posts of staff listed are these people in post or are they new posts we are looking to recruit to.

The Head of Regulatory Services advised the Council were not taking any administrative charge and that everything on the spreadsheet was what officers were working on, although this included a Project Support resource.  There were projects which do involve TRDC and this was detailed in the spreadsheet.  . The business communication officer was already in post working in the Communications Team and already doing a lot of work engaging with our businesses and the funding would enable that work to continue.  The Projects Support Assistant would be a new post and which we could only support for 3 months. 

In terms of the additional staffing for three months, the Lead Member advised that Members needed to bear in mind that the Council were a lean authority in terms of staffing numbers.  To be able to process the grants additional resources would be required. 

Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst moved the recommendations as set out in the report, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cox, to go ahead with the schemes.  Officers intended to spend the full grant funding and that there are a potential 3 - 4 other schemes be also looked at in detail.  The Councillor proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Stephen Cox, to amend the delegation to delegate any further decisions for the spending of ARG funding to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Group Leaders, to ensure monies are committed/spent by 31 March 2022.

The Lead Member advised that there were specific rules on how the grant funding could be used.

On being put to the Committee the recommendations were declared CARRIED by the Chair the voting being unanimous.

RESOLVED:

i)            Option 1: for Officers to progress the identified projects and funding, including the Project Support Officer, subject to any appropriate processes such as procurement requirements.  This will enable the projects to be secured, commenced and further businesses in TRDC supported with ARG funding.

AND

ii)           To delegate any further decisions for the spending of ARG funding to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Group Leaders, to ensure monies are committed/spent by 31 March 2022.