Issue - meetings

Housing Infrastructure Fund: New Routes to Good Growth Programme Review

Meeting: 28/09/2021 - Cabinet (Item 7)

7 Housing Infrastructure Fund: New Routes to Good Growth - Deed of Variation to Grant Determination Agreement PDF 158 KB

Minutes:

Background:

This report provided an update on the Housing Infrastructure Fun (HIF) project and reported the outcome of a Council led deep dive review of the onward programme including discussions with Homes England (HE) over a one-year extension to the HIF Project. Previously concluding in March 2024; the HIF project would now run until March 2025.

This had caused HE to seek minor changes to the Grant Determination Agreement (GDA), which was set out in Exempt Appendix 1. Cabinet was also requested to grant delegated authority to officers to make any further Deeds of Variation, for the life of the project. Similar Deeds of Variation within this timeframe would include any further changes to milestones necessary for the programme and any further administrative changes to wording within the GDA that may be required by HE. Delegated authority would ensure that timely decisions could be made with HE, so that HIF grant funding claims were not delayed.

Decision number:	Decision:
103/2021	The Cabinet agreed to the one year extension to the HIF project (to March 2025 - Option 1 set out in paragraph 3.1.1 to the report), as documented in the Programme Review, which was sent to and approved by Homes England in August 2021.
104/2021	The Cabinet agreed to enter into the Deed of Variation to accept the proposed changes, and the revised milestones proposed by the Council as a result of the recent programme review submitted to Homes England.
105/2021	The Cabinet agreed to delegate authority to the Director of Place and Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, Chief Finance Officer and Assistant Director, Legal and Governance to make the relevant changes, should any further Deeds of Variation be required, for the life of the project, on the basis set out in paragraph 4.2 of the report.

Reasons:

Option 2 would result in no extension to the HIF project beyond March 2024. Denying this extra year would impact the quality of the delivery of the overall HIF scheme.

Option 1 continues to demonstrate commitment to delivery of the £170 m HIF programme.

Delegation of authority for any future Deeds of Variation to the Director of Place and Deputy Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, Chief Finance Officer and Assistant Director Legal and Governance, for the life of the project, would ensure timely changes can be made with HE and will not cause delay to monthly HIF grant draw down claims.