The permanent secretary at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has confirmed that the government intends to rationalise the number of funds involving a bidding process for councils.
Jeremy Pocklington, speaking at CIPFA’s annual conference in Liverpool, said he was conscious that the number of government funds is now “well into the hundreds” and is putting a “significant burden” on council finance functions.
“We have too many funds and the competitive processes can sometimes favour the same councils, the same parts of the country time and time again. That is why we have set out a clear plan to simplify the number of funds that we have,” he told delegates.
“We will work closely with the sector to see how we can simplify the funding landscape to help councils better focus on their delivery of great public services that represent value for money.”
Pocklington said that the bidding culture in local government “took valuable leadership time” away from council senior management teams.
He also announced that the Levelling up Fund Round 2 portal will open “very soon – in the coming days” following a delay caused by IT problems. Once the portal is launched, councils will have two weeks to submit their bids.
Greg Clark has been clear that he has the highest regard for the agenda set by Michael Gove and is determined that together we will continue to deliver on this while we await a new prime minister and a new administration.
Councils’ champion
Pocklington said that new secretary of state at the department, Greg Clark, is a “passionate champion of local government and levelling up”. He reminded delegates that Clark was the “original architect of the first decentralisation green paper”, which spawned city deals.
“Greg has a particular interest in greater powers and greater accountability being exercised as close as possible to local communities,” the senior civil servant said.
“He [Clark] has been clear that he has the highest regard for the agenda set by [former levelling up secretary] Michael Gove and is determined that together we will continue to deliver on this while we await a new prime minister and a new administration.”
But Pocklington reminded delegates of Gove’s comments that there is “no expectation of significant extra funding”. With tight budgets and soaring inflation, it was “doubly important” to focus on strong financial management.
“It may be tempting to find creative ways to relieve financial pressures. But it is important that this creativity is balanced by a sensible approach to risk in ensuring value for money for the taxpayer,” he said.
I know too that you have particular concerns about the impact of inflation on rising costs and pay, and also the increased demand on services especially in adult social care, with the oversight of section 151 officers becoming ever-more important.
Role of section 151 officers
“I know too that you have particular concerns about the impact of inflation on rising costs and pay, and also the increased demand on services especially in adult social care, with the oversight of section 151 officers becoming ever-more important.”
Local authorities “rightly have significant flexibility to chart their own course” in setting strategies for growth, he said. “But they exist within a clear statutory framework, where the role of section 151 officers is integral to good governance and strong leadership.”
—————
FREE weekly newsletters
Subscribe to Room151 Newsletters
Room151 LinkedIn Community
Join here
Monthly Online Treasury Briefing
Sign up here with a .gov.uk email address
Room151 Webinars
Visit the Room151 channel
