Issue

Issue details

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)

To note the change in the governments deadlines for local authorities to spend the Additional Restrictions Grant award and approve the approach to spend the grant to support economic recovery as set out in the report.

Decision type: Key

Reason Key: Expenditure >£100,000 and affects more than 1 ward;

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Notice of proposed decision first published: 26/03/2021

This decision will be taken under urgency procedures.

Reason for urgency:
The original plans for the ARG fund award spend were due to go to Community Scrutiny Committee on 7 April 2021 and Cabinet on 27 April 2021. These plans set out a profile to spend the ARG fund award before the deadline of 31 March 2022.

However, following the Chancellor of the Exchequer announcement of new “Restart” grants in the March 2021 Budget, and the subsequence government guidance published on 17 March 2021, the timeframes for local authorities to spend their ARG fund was bought forward from 31 March 2022 to the 30 June 2021. Urgent approval of this decsion on 30 March is required to spend the ARG fund award by 30 June 2021 following this revised government guidance.

Anticipated restriction: Public  -

Decision due: 30 Mar 2021 by Cabinet

Lead member: Councillor Tony Gillard, Business and Regeneration Portfolio Holder tony.gillard@nwleicestershire.gov.uk

Lead director: Strategic Director of Place

Contact: Paul Wheatley, Head of Property and Regeneration Email: paul.wheatley@nwleicestershire.gov.uk Tel: 01530 454 354.

Scrutiny Committee Considered: The original plans for the ARG fund award spend were beginning to make their way through our governance processes, going to community scrutiny committee on 7 April and Cabinet on 12 April. These plans set out a profile to spend the ARG fund award before the dealing of 31 March 2022. However, revised government guidance now requires local authorities to spend their ARG fund award by 30 June 2021 therefore an urgent approval was required to meet the new spend deadlines

Agenda items

Documents

  • Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)