Agenda item

Cabinet is asked to approve the acceptance of a United Utilities Green Recovery Fund (UUGRF) grant allocation following confirmation of award from United Utilities Plc in October 2023.

The Cabinet received a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) that asked members to approve the acceptance of the £1,991,000 United Utilities Green Recovery Fund (UUGRF) grant allocation following confirmation of an award from United Utilities Plc in October 2023.

Oldham Council’s Highways and Engineering Team had submitted various applications seeking financial support to increase the National Capital Value (NCV) of Oldham. The submissions were based on four emerging projects in Oldham town centre, namely: West Street; Rock Street; Market Street; and Curzon Street.  All of these projects were to be delivered by March 2025 and the grant award received from United Utilities was intended to supplement and match funding from the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund that was already secured for these projects.

Options/alternatives considered:

Option 1 was to do nothing. Failure to accept the grant allocation of United Utilities Green Recovery Fund would reflect negatively on the perception of the town and its ambitions. It would also have significant implications for delivery on the overarching project budgets and, therefore, the achievement of regeneration ambitions and objectives in Oldham Town Centre.

Option 2 was to formally accept the United Utilities Green Recovery Fund award allocation for £1.991m and enter the FCA as set out in this report. the preferred Option was therefore Option 4.1 Option 2, as this would help to ensure delivery of the projects in the agreed timescales and budgets and, therefore, achieve the regeneration ambitions and objectives in Oldham Town Centre.

Cabinet was informed that the Chair of the relevant Scrutiny Body had permitted this item to be considered at this meeting of the Cabinet, without prior notification on the Authority’s forward plan of Key Decisions in accordance with Rules 13 and 14 of the Constitution.

Resolved:

1.    Cabinet approved the acceptance of the £1.991m United Utilities Green Recovery Fund grant against the increased National Capital Value criteria specified by Ofwat in collaboration with United Utilities Plc. The grant, it was noted would be broken down for spend against the following schemes; West Street – an allocation of £441,000 to increase sustainable urban drainage capacity and reduce surface water volume entering the combined sewerage system, and increase amenity space - dwell space, pedestrian/cycle provisions and increase soft landscaping infrastructure; Rock Street – an allocation of £700,000 to increase sustainable urban drainage capacity and reduce surface water volume entering the combined sewerage system, increase amenity space on former brownfield site, improve connectivity for disabled and vulnerable road users i.e. pedestrian/cycle provisions and increase in soft landscaping infrastructure to facilitate a new public amenity space in the form of a park; Market Street – an allocation of £600,000 to increase sustainable urban drainage capacity and significantly reduce surface water volume entering the combined sewerage system, increase amenity space i.e. dwell space, pedestrian/cycle provisions and increase in soft landscaping infrastructure; and Curzon Street – an allocation of £250,000 to increase sustainable urban drainage capacity and significantly reduce surface water volume entering the combined sewerage system, increase amenity space i.e. dwell space, pedestrian/cycle provisions and increase in soft landscaping infrastructure.

2.    Cabinet agrees to delegate authority to the Deputy Chief Executive (Place), or her nominated representative, to agree the terms of the Legal Agreement in respect of the grant award in consultation with the Director of Legal Services and approve appointments of professional teams and contract award in respect of the agreed budgets.

3.    Cabinet agrees to delegate authority to Director of Legal Services, or his nominated representative, to finalise and enter into the Legal Agreement issued by United Utilities Plc in respect of the grant award subject to the completion of any necessary due diligence on subsidy control compliance and authority to agree and complete any project change requests under the Agreement.

4.    Cabinet agrees to delegate authority to the Director of Economy or their nominated representative to agree monitoring and evaluation of defined outputs and negotiations thereupon as required over the grant delivery period of 2023/2024 – 2024/2025.

5.    Cabinet notes that as accountable body for United Utilities Green Recovery Fund, United Utilities Plc, has issued a Legal Agreement in respect of the grant, along with supporting documentation, which is currently under review by the Council‘s Legal Services Team.

6.    Cabinet notes and endorse that the internal governance and administration for the United Utilities Green Recovery Fund grant will be performed via the Creating a Better Place Programme Board (CAPB) structures alongside a dedicated Delivery Group for which Terms of Reference will be agreed by the Director of Economy, or his nominated representative.