Issue - meetings

Report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Regeneration and Housing which provided details of proposals to progress a European Regional Development Fund application on behalf of Viridis for a Liverpool City Region Low Carbon Retrofit Project, and for the Council to act in the role of accountable body for the project should it be approved.

Decision Made: That

(1)     approval be given to Sefton Council acting as accountable body status for the Liverpool City Region low carbon retrofit project should the European Regional Development Fund application be successful;

(2)     approval be given to the full submission of the project for European Development Fund application on behalf of Viridis; and

(3)     it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions. Consequently, the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by the Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan because Viridis had not decided to progress with an European Regional Development Fund proposal at the point at which the Forward Plan was published.

Reasons for Decision:

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 and the associated benefits for the citizens of Sefton and wider Liverpool City Region.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Viridis was not an economic entity and therefore was unable to apply for funding directly or act as an accountable body. Viridis is the collective name for a group of Registered Housing Providers (social landlords) and local authorities in the Liverpool City Region which Sefton Council project manages and therefore receives fees for acting in that capacity.

Registered Housing Providers had been approached about acting as accountable body and the response had been that they do not have the necessary skill, expertise and experience to fulfil the role.

As the activity would be undertaken by registered providers and falls outside of the remit of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, it was not appropriate for the Combined Authority to act as Accountable Body for this type of initiative.