Area-based approach to Place Based Investment Programme agreed
Members of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee today agreed that an area-based approach is to be adopted to manage the Scottish Government’s Place Based Investment Programme grant for 2021/22.
The Scottish Government has allocated £1,963,000 of ring-fenced Place Based Investment Programme funding for the current financial year.
The move to agree an area-based approach supports Highland Council’s legal duties with community planning partners and local communities. It was further agreed that Highland Council will write to the Scottish Government to request flexibility on the spend profile of the Place Based Investment grant.
Members also homologated the Council’s Round 9 Stage 1 Regeneration Capital Grant Fund applications to the Scottish Government on 17 June 2021.
The Council, along with statutory community planning partners, has a legal duty from the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) (2015) to tackle inequalities.
A key objective of the Place Based Investment Programme is to support wellbeing and inclusive economic development, tackling inequality and disadvantage, community involvement and ownership.
Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Trish Robertson, said: “While the allocation formula included use of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), the Council has agreed with community planning partners to also use the Socio-Economic Performance (SEP) index which recognises rural deprivation better.
“This has led to over 20 locality planning areas being identified for community planning partners to work together in and with communities to reduce inequalities.”
The Scottish Government recognises that local government is a key partner in delivering the PBIP (Place Based Investment Programme). Scottish Government and CoSLA have agreed that local government will receive a share of the funding over five years to support and advance place-based investment and build on the strong partnership currently existing through the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.
The distribution formula shows that Highland Council will receive the following awards:
- £1,704,710 in 2022/23
- £1,188,131 in 2023/24
- £1,188,131 in 2024/25
- £1,188,131 in 2025/26
Two main opportunities were presented to members in respect of how the PBIP grant is invested (direct strategic investment and area-based investment). Members today opted for the latter approach.
Cllr Robertson added: “The area-based approach, which was also adopted for the Town Centre Fund and Highland Coastal Communities Fund offers even more opportunity for local projects to be funded.
“Whilst an area approach may not be able to provide the level of financial investment that some projects require to be implemented, the approach is in line with the spirit of PBIP as detailed in section 5 and 6.”
She added: “It also provides a valuable opportunity for Area Committee Members in the first instance to consider supporting existing TCF projects that may be experiencing deliverability challenges as unfortunately the pandemic has resulted in cost escalation with some projects.”
The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) has been delivered since 2014/15 and supports locally developed, placed based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth in deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities.
To date Highland Council has successfully obtained 14 RCGF grants worth a total of nearly £12m.
The Scottish Government opened Round 9 in April this year, but as this was during the pre-election period there was no public announcement from the Government or the Council. As a consequence, Ward Managers were asked in the first instance to share the information with local contacts and invite expressions of interest to be submitted to the Regeneration Team.
A total of 30 expressions of interest were received, 3 of which were subsequently withdrawn. An initial eligibility screening exercise was undertaken by officers that identified 4 ineligible projects and 3 partially eligible.
A full list of the applications can be found in Item 12 Appendix 2 of the report.