Decision details

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Built Environment which sought authority to progress the European Regional Development Fund application for a Liverpool City Region Low Carbon Retrofit Programme, and for the Council to act in the role of accountable body for the programme should it be approved.

Decision Made:

That:

(1)       approval be given to the progression of a European Regional Development Fund full application for a Liverpool City Region Low Carbon Retrofit Programme;

(2)       the business case for Sefton Council to assume accountable body status for a City Region Low Carbon programme be accepted in principle, and officers be requested to submit a risk assessment and mitigation plan to the Cabinet Member - Regeneration and Skills for approval; and

(3)       approval in principle be given to the use of approved expenditure within the Council’s capital and revenue budgets to match funding made available through the European Programme, with detailed decision-making on availability, eligibility, monitoring, audit and other safeguards being delegated to the Head of Investment & Employment and Chief Financial Officer in order to advise the Cabinet Member - Regeneration and Skills.

Reasons for Decision:

The VIRIDIS (home energy saving) Partnership had explored the opportunity of being accountable body; however VIRIDIS was not an economic entity and therefore was unable to apply for ERDF funding directly or act as an accountable body. VIRIDIS was the collective name for a group of social landlords and local authorities in the Liverpool City Region. All six local authorities are members along with major social landlords with properties throughout the city region, including One Vision, Liverpool Mutual Homes, Liverpool Housing Trust, Helena Partnerships, Magenta Living, Your Housing, Regenda, Plus Dane, South Liverpool Housing, Villages Housing and Halton Housing Trust.

The activity and the majority of the members of the partnership fall outside of the remit of the Combined Authority and therefore it was not appropriate for the Combined Authority to act as Accountable Body for this type of initiative.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None. - Not to apply for European funding and act in an accountable body function would be to forego the opportunities arising from the European Structural Investment Fund programme available to the City Region.