Stuart Anderson MP is delighted that the City of Wolverhampton has been invited to be one of 10 ‘pathfinder’ local authorities to pilot a simplified approach to funding. Already, Wolverhampton has received more than £2.3 billion in government investment - including £25 million from the Towns Fund, £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund, and £15 million from the Future High Streets Fund. Now, the city is set to benefit by gaining greater spending flexibility over the three existing local growth funding allocations.
This stand-alone pilot will provide the City of Wolverhampton Council with greater levels of flexibility that can be quickly deployed to speed up the delivery of key projects - encouraging a more efficient approach to project delivery. It will allow the Government to understand the impact of simplified funding on delivery across a portfolio, including how spending flexibility can support local authorities to respond to changing economic conditions and reduce bureaucracy within the delivery process. Pilot authorities, including Wolverhampton will have greater ability to make decisions locally about moving funding between projects in their funding portfolio, while proportionate oversight is maintained of funding delivery. They will submit a single, combined report on outputs, outcomes, and spend data on a quarterly basis across their funding portfolio. Delivery insights will be gathered from participating authorities to inform the pilot evaluation.
The pilot is part of this Government’s plan to simplify the funding landscape for local authorities and reduce burdens for local authorities and fund bidders. It follows the commitment in the landmark Levelling Up White Paper to deliver a more transparent, simple, and accountable approach to funding. By reducing administrative burdens, it will support the City of Wolverhampton Council to maximise their return on spending - generating the best outcomes for the city. Local government, businesses, and third sector organisations can visit www.gov.uk/guidance/dluhc-local-growth-and-place-fund-register to find out key information on departmental funds that promote local economic growth. It complements the new Cabinet Office ‘Find a Grant’ platform at www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “Since 2019, the City of Wolverhampton has benefitted from more than £2 billion investment in key projects such as the City Learning Quarter. In the Levelling Up White Paper last year, we set out our plans to support local leaders to make a diference in their communities by simplifying the funding model. I am delighted that Wolverhampton is now set to benefit from the streamlined delivery of capital funding and greater levels of flexibility. As one of the 10 local authorities to pilot a simplified approach to funding, we will be able to speed up the delivery of key projects and adopt a more efficient approach to project delivery.”
Minister for Levelling Up, Dehenna Davison MP, said: “This Government is focused on continually improving the way funding is delivered, including by minimising burdens and paperwork on all organisations bidding for funds, to unlock the potential of local economies, create visible improvements within communities, and ensure that more funding does not mean more bureaucracy. By reducing administrative burdens on local authorities, this plan will support them to maximise their return on spending, generating the best outcomes for communities.”