The Assistant Director, Chief Regeneration Officer presented the report on behalf of the Director of Regeneration and Place which provided an update in respect of the Liverpool City Region UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) programme, the Council’s 2025/26 allocation of £2,029,068 and sought approval of the Wirral Programme 2025/26.

The report also sought approval for the 12-month extension of the Worklessness Support Service contract delivered by Involve Northwest, funded from UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Public Health Grant of a contract value of £993,291.

It explained that the recommendations were considered to be urgent as there was a need to mobilise delivery of the worklessness support contract from 1 April 2025.

Members thanked officers for the report and noted that Involve Northwest had exceeded their contract performance expectations. They queried the figures on the number of people that had gone into training as it below target.

The Head of Economic Growth responded that this was started as a one-year contract which was unusual and that it was hard to ramp up delivery within a year. She noted that the targets on training were starting to be achieved and they had supported the council through recruitment companies and jobs fairs.

Members queried the capital funding aspect of the finances and asked for more detail on the community safety interventions and town centre infrastructure report.

The Head of Economic Growth responded that within the current program there was a capital budget for community safety initiatives such as alley gating and CCTV and that this would be continued at a lower level. She stated that the town centre infrastructure was for small scale public realm improvements such as new or improved street furniture or planting arrangements to improve the street scene.

Members queried if the town centre infrastructure support was available to any town.

The Head of Economic Growth replied that nothing had been agreed as yet and that the normal governance process would be used to determine which areas would receive the most focus.

Members asked about the support that was available to people that may struggle to hold down a job due to mental health issues.

The Head of Economic Growth responded that there was a distinction between those that were unemployed and economically inactive. Those that were economically inactive due to health reasons were not required to seek employment. She noted that there were no specific programmes to support people that were in work but struggled to maintain employment but would continue to look at all options the government offered.

Resolved -That

1. The Wirral allocation of UKSPF Funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority of £2,029,068 be noted  and the Wirral Programme as set out in section 3.9 of the  report be approved;

2. The Director of Regeneration and Place be authorised to negotiate final outputs and outcomes associated with the Wirral UKSPF Programme and commence delivery of the grant funding agreement outcomes and change control process;

3. The 12-month extension of the Worklessness Support Service contract delivered by Involve Northwest funded from UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Public Health Grant of a contract value of £993,291 be approved; and

4. The above decisions be deemed urgent and therefore not subject to the procedure for re-consideration.