Funding schemes to be discussed

Hastings Borough Council's Cabinet is due to discuss a report detailing the many different funding grants that have been allocated to the town. In the last few years, the town has received funding from seven different government schemes.

Each of the funding schemes has strict criteria detailing what the money can be spent on and timeframes for project delivery. The funding also comes with rules around reporting the spend and evaluation.

Hastings was announced as a Levelling Up Partnership town in April 2023, with £20m being awarded. Announcements around where this money will be spent are expected imminently. These will be discussed if details have been received in time for the Cabinet meeting.

The Long-term plan for towns will be overseen by a new Hastings Town Board, which the government wants to be led by a community or business leader while the council manages the funds. Work has begun on the creation of this new board, but this process will take time to ensure appropriate representation. Hastings has been awarded £20m over ten years through this programme to regenerate the town and focus on three main themes: Safety and Security (Community Safety); High streets, Heritage and Regeneration; Transport and Connectivity.

Funding has also been received for sporting facilities in the town, through Sport England's Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF) Phase II, which is helping to improve the energy efficiency of the centre using photo-voltaic solar panels. The council has also been invited to bid for funding for multi-use games areas through the Sport England PlayZone funding scheme. Details are being finalised with the leisure team around what this bid will cover.

Hastings has also received funding through the Town Deal (including the accelerator programme), and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Cllr Julia Hilton, leader of the council, said: "This additional funding is gratefully received, but it is important to note that all these different grants and funding streams have strict restrictions around what they can be spent on and when. They might not always reflect our priorities as a council which are usually funded through the council's core budget. We will continue to update on the progress of these various schemes as they develop over the coming months and years."

You can read the full report online and watch the meeting online from 6pm on Monday 4 March, or in person at Muriel Matters House.

Editor's Note:
Please see list below for details on the separate funds:

• Levelling Up Partnership, launched July 2023, start date March 2024, end date March 2025, offer amount £20m, allocation type - allocated, funding type - capital;
• Homelessness Prevention Funding, launched March 2024 (TBC), start date April 2024, end date March 2028, offer amount £5.4m, allocation type - allocated, funding type - revenue (£1.9m) capital (£3.5m);
• Long-term Plan for Towns, launched Oct 2023, start date April 2024, end date 2033, offer amount £20m, allocation type - allocated, funding type - revenue (25%) capital (75%);
• UK Shared Prosperity Fund, launched April 2022, start date April 2022, end date March 2025, offer amount £1m, allocation type - allocated, funding type- revenue and capital;
• Town Deal Programme, launched July 2019, start date April 2021, end date March 2026, offer amount £24.3m, allocation type - competition, funding type - capital, revenue for management;
• Town Deal Accelerator Fund, launched Aug 2020, start date Sept 2020, end date March 2021, offer amount - £1m, allocation type - allocated, funding type - capital;
• Sport England's Swimming pool Fund, launched April 2023, start date Feb 2024, end date March 2025, offer amount - £0.36m, allocation type - competition, funding type - capital;
• Multi-Use Games Area - PlayZone funding, application deadline Dec 2024, start date Jan 2025, end date March 2026, offer amount - TBC, allocation type - competition, funding type - capital.