Agenda item

6.1

Sarah Lowi Jones, Economic Policy Officer based in the Council’s Economic Strategy Team, presented an overview of the Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) project that has been live since March 2019.  This covered:-

What ERF is:-

•       A unique grant fund of £2.38m - £2m from the Council and £382,000 from a Government fund called ARG.  The Fund aimed to support local economic recovery, especially in district and local centres, by safeguarding jobs and businesses, bringing back footfall, increasing consumer confidence,  and building awareness of the great offer across our local high streets.

•       It opened to applications in March 2021 and interested parties could bid for a small grant of up to £50k or a large grant of up to £200k.

How it has worked:-

•       ERF purposefully had broad eligibility criteria and was open to all that can meet them.  These were:

1.    The applications had to come from a collaboration, not just an individual business or organisation

2.    The application had to be for the broader benefit of an area

3.    It had to have additionality – i.e. would it have happened anyway, or would funding enable it to happen bigger, better and faster?

4.    Covid security implications taken into account (for example in event proposals).

•       All eligible applications were scored using a standard, transparent set of scoring criteria and there was a minimum pass mark that applications had to meet.

•       To score these applications and oversee the ERF as a project a Steering Group was established that included Councillors, Senior Officers and private sector representatives. 

•       The Council also took a collaborative approach by working with applicants wherever possible, to help them develop the best possible application.

•       104 applications were received of which 26 received funding that represented a range of areas and type of project.

•       Two clear ‘groups’ of applications emerged, the first were a group of events based largely in the city centre that fit well with the Council’s planned Summer in the Outdoor City marketing campaign. The second group were from groups of businesses and others from district centres and high streets.

•       The district centre projects all reflect what local businesses, community groups and others think is important and will have an impact.

Delivery so far:-

• Since July 2021 over 80 events had been delivered that received ERF funding.  In this period, Sheffield was also shown to have the most improved footfall across UK cities.
• At the end of 2021 ERF funded the enabling works and installation of Christmas lights, large Christmas trees and events in some areas.
• Place-making activity had started, including new street furniture and lamppost banners in some parts of the city. Improvements had been made to Firth Park, including improvements to the park itself and to the roundabout.
• Since the new year events have been delivered in Woodhouse and the city centre. At least 30 events were planned over the coming months using ERF funds, alongside new public art, shop front improvement schemes, a green wall, planters and new trees and lots of other activity. 
• A summary of all district centre projects was available on the https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/business/covid-19-economic-recovery-fund and a roundup of the Summer in the Outdoor City events was also available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzN-Wl7neEg

6.2

Dawn Dale, Community Development Coordinator for Manor Castle Development Trust, provided an update on the Heart of Manor Park project, which was a joint consultation exercise between the Trust and the Council, working with shopkeepers to identify key local issues relating to the physical environment.

Challenges to local businesses varied from environmental issues to vandalism, and the project hoped to support businesses by delivering a programme of events aimed at encouraging footfall. A bid was prepared based on the issues identified.

A monthly steering group would be set up with two sub-groups: one focussing on events and engagement, the other on community artwork. These would involve the whole team together with local shopkeepers, local residents, ward councillors, Together Housing, Temple Park, Park Academy and Manor After School Club, amongst others.

Other physical improvements noted included regular emptying of litter bins and repairs to a damaged noticeboard.

The panel were now looking at options for community artwork and a meeting was due to take place next week to decide upon an artist that best fits the local area. It was hoped that local people could be engaged in this process.

An event had been planned to launch the installation of new planters on 12 August, with assistance from local community groups. The Manor Park Keep Tidy campaign had been working with local children on designs, and Park Academy planned to hold events around litter picking.

A Facebook Page called “Heart of Manor Park” and a newsletter had been set up and would be utilised to help promote the launch of the artwork and the planters. Discussions were also taking place with local shopkeepers to consider options around fund raising for Christmas events, including Christmas lights and market stalls.

6.3

A questioner asked how much the artist was being paid, and whether this would be a local artist.

Dawn Dale confirmed that the cost would be £10,000 including materials, and that expressions of interest had been received from three artists. This project would involve schools and colleges and aimed to seek out and encourage young talent.