Wirral Council has been selected to participate in a trial aimed at streamlining and maximizing funding for town developments. The trial, called the Simplification Pathfinder Pilot, has been introduced by the UK government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). The initiative is designed to simplify the process of allocating government funding to local councils, enabling them to optimize their spending and accelerate urban regeneration and levelling up programs.
Out of the 11 councils chosen for the pilot in England, Wirral is the only one within the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. The council’s eligibility for the trial stems from receiving government funding from three different programs, amounting to over £144 million in grants. The funding has been allocated to various projects, including the Future High Streets Fund for regenerating areas of Birkenhead and New Ferry, the Town Deal fund for Birkenhead regeneration, and Levelling Up funding for the Woodside Ferry Terminal and the surrounding vicinity.
Under the pilot, the council will have greater flexibility in determining where to allocate funds for specific projects. This new approach is expected to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies and improve project delivery. The three government funding programs will be consolidated into a single funding pot, with the government now monitoring the overall investment rather than each project individually. Wirral Council will only need government approval for significant changes to projects worth over £5 million.
This development comes at a crucial time for Wirral Council, as it faces an anticipated expenditure of £86 million on regeneration projects in the near future. The council is also undergoing recruitment for two essential roles concerning planning and regeneration, while recently appointing a new director of regeneration, David Hughes.
To participate in the pilot, councils will be required to submit a streamlined investment plan outlining how they intend to allocate the received government funding. The government will implement a reporting system that minimizes local administrative burdens while ensuring the necessary levels of data and assurance for the DLUHC. Councils will be expected to monitor the expenditure, outputs, and outcomes agreed upon in their investment plans, with summarized reports every three months and detailed reports every six months.
Wirral Council leader Councillor Paul Stuart expressed his appreciation for being selected for the pilot project, highlighting the recognition of the council’s regeneration efforts at a national level. He emphasized that the involvement in the pathfinder project will facilitate more flexible spending of the grants received from the Towns Fund, Levelling Up fund, and Future High Streets program, amounting to tens of millions of pounds. Stuart believes that reducing bureaucratic obstacles and empowering local decision-making will enable the council to fulfill the regeneration aspirations of the people of Wirral, foster economic growth and inward investment, and enhance the borough’s livability and attractiveness.
