Town Deal – FAQ
Who manages the PZ Town Deal Fund?
The Government has designated Cornwall Council as the Accountable Body for the Towns Fund in Cornwall. This means the funding will flow through Cornwall Council who will administer the fund, manage the contracts with each project, ensure the funding is channelled and used appropriately. Ultimately, the Accountable Body evaluates and reports back to Government on delivery and impact of the projects.
All key documents are signed off by both Cornwall Council and the Town Deal Board.
Who are the members of the PZ Town Deal Boards?
The Penzance Town Deal Board was established in Spring 2019 in order to lead the process of preparing and implementing the Town Investment Plan.
The board is composed of a mix of representatives from the private, public and community sectors who responded to a public invitation to apply and are committed to improving their local area. Members of the boards include councillors from Cornwall Council and Town Council, local businesses, community stakeholders and the area’s MP. The make-up of the board was set out in the guidance from the Government when the Towns Fund was originally announced.
All Town Deal Board members have signed up to a code of conduct. This is based on the Seven Principles of Public life (the Nolan Principles).
Each Member of the Town Deal Boards is required to provide a Declaration of Interest form, these are available on request. Members also declare interests at the beginning of each Board meeting, this information can be found within the Board meeting minutes.
Where can I find more information about what is being discussed during the Town Deal Board meetings?
Agendas and Minutes of the Town Deal Boards meetings are available on the Cornwall Council website here: www.cornwall.gov.uk/business-trading-and-licences/economic-development/towns-fund/
They can also be found here: https://penzancetownfund.co.uk/meet-the-board/#minutes
Contact email address: PenzanceTownDeal@cornwall.gov.uk
How were projects selected for inclusion in the Town Investment Plan?
All project ideas, suggestions and contributions had to be tested against the Government’s criteria and guidelines for Regeneration, Skills provision and Connectivity.
All projects were also required to:
- Show a sustainable self-sufficient level of income generation and the ability to provide future core running costs
- Sit within the defined investment boundary
- Have demonstrable public support (stakeholder engagement)
Proposers were asked to provide an Expression of Interest and, based on Board consensus, were either declined at that point (if an obvious non-fit with criteria, significantly underdeveloped or unlikely to be able to achieve Full Business Case) or invited to submit a full proposal. Full proposals were independently scored by no fewer than three Board representatives, followed by a joint moderation and appraisal workshop. Appraising Board members provided a recommendation of either: inclusion in the plan; rejection or; to be held in reserve.
Scoring and appraisal was based on three fundamental criteria:
Strategic Fit: Taking into account both the local strategy and Town Deal set criteria and the potential to meet or exceed sustainability expectations.
Value for Money: The level of impact in terms of outputs and long term outcomes compared to investment.
Deliverability: The development progress to date and the capacity and resources of the proposing organisation to lead a Green book Full Business case process and oversee capital delivery.
In total 17 proposals were received by the Board and 10 initial proposals were included in the Investment Plan.
How long is the funding around for?
The Town Deals is a six-year investment programme to be delivered between January 2020 and March 2026.
When will the projects and construction start?
The start and construction of the projects will vary from one project to another, depending on their complexity.
In the first instance, every project needs to complete a full HM Treasury ‘Green Book’ Business Case to secure their funding. Once the business case has been approved by both Cornwall Council and the Government. Cornwall Council will be in the position to issue the contracts or Grants Funding Agreements with each individual project.
For larger projects particularly around transport and improvement of public places, we expect to see the first ‘spades in the ground’ in Summer 2023 at the earliest.
Can we spend some of the Town Deal money on other projects?
No. The Government has offered a “Town Deal” based on the projects outlined in the Town Investment Plan. The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has made a grant offer against each of these specific projects.
How has the local community been involved?
In Spring 2020, the Penzance Town Deal Board was established. The Board includes local members of the community from the voluntary, private and public sectors.
The Town Deal Board has worked with the community to develop the vision and aims for the Town Investment Plan, and submit project ideas which met the specific criteria set out in the Government’s Town Deal regulations.
Penzance was already in a very good position as extensive public consultation already took place between 2015 and 2019 to inform the design of a spatial strategy for the area local and the draft of the Penzance Neighbourhood Plan. During that period residents and businesses were invited at various ‘EXPO’ events organised by the Penzance Regeneration Board and Cornwall Council, and at drop-in sessions within each community. Those events gave the local community an opportunity to contribute to developing their own ‘Visions’ for their neighbourhood.
These visions helped to confirm support for key projects which were included in both the Town Deal and the Future High Streets bids.
Further consultation and engagement will take place throughout the course of the delivery of the Town Deal programme. The best way to stay informed of the upcoming events is to visit the PZ Town Fund website www.penzancetownfund.co.uk
or follow them on Facebook @PenzanceTownFund
Will you use local businesses/suppliers?
Yes, as much as possible we would like to involve local suppliers. Cornwall Council champions responsible procurement at social, environmental and economical levels to deliver improved quality of life and better value for money for our local people and businesses. As a Lead Authority for the management of the Towns Fund locally, Cornwall Council will be working with projects to ensure they follow responsible procurement when purchasing goods and services.
Will my Council Tax be paying for the Town Deal projects?
No, all of the funding is coming from central Government, Cornwall Council’s existing budgets or from private sector or other grant match funding.
