The Director of Regeneration and Place has approved that funds allocated to Woodside Ferry Village in the sum of £1,116,703 and Birkenhead Priory in the sum of £80,585, remain in the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot programme for future re-allocation.

Funds need to be made available for reallocation within the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot Programme to ensure full spend by the deadline of March 2026 and delivery in line with the investment plan.

The Woodside Ferry Village project did not provide a minimum 10-year lease agreement before the 20 January 2025, and the Birkenhead Priory project did not provide evidence of confirmation of match funding from Heritage Lottery Fund by 20 January 2025.

Other options have been considered and have been discounted. Specifically, if the Council adopts a “do nothing” approach, then the risks are that the Council may:

·  Not be able to deploy grant funding within the spend profile timetable, and deliver the agreed outputs and outcomes detailed in the submitted investment plan, risking unspent funding being returned to central government.

·  not be able to deliver proposals across the priority project areas;

·  risk additional financial pressures if projects are not delivered and cannot be capitalised and claimed under the grant. These revenue costs will then have the be absorbed by other council budgets; and

·  T risk reputational damage, potentially leading to a decrease in confidence of the community and central government to deliver on its agreed outputs and outcomes.

If the Council “does nothing”, then the mitigation for the above risks will likely result in key strategic and pipeline projects being paused or indefinitely postponed. Please see Section 7 for further information on relevant risks, impacts and mitigations.