Supplementary memorandum by the NewHeartlands
Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Pathfinder (EMP 21(a))
You will recall that whilst the Chairs were
giving oral evidence to the Select Committee on Tuesday 8 February
the matter of English Partnership investment in pathfinder areas
was raised. We said then at the Committee Hearing that we had
had excellent support from English Partnerships to date and that
our hope was that we would continue to enjoy a similar arrangement
in future.
Since the Committee Hearing there has been an
example of how English Partnership might in future deal with requests
for funding, appropriate to their purposes, within this Pathfinder,
and maybe others. A decision was taken at the English Partnership
Executive Board last week not to proceed with an award of some
£3.5 million to one of the Merseyside Pathfinder Authorities.
Leaving to one side some specific concerns surrounding that particular
case I was disturbed to learn that two of the reasons advised
at the Executive Board were: firstly, that Pathfinders were to
receive an increased allocation of resources from ODPM, and secondly
in the light of that and budget challenges that English Partnerships
face they are looking to reduce their overall commitment in pathfinders
There is no question of Pathfinders receiving
extra resources or increased allocation in this financial year
or next. The increase in allocations for Housing Market Renewal
is contained with the recent CSR outcome and relates to the years
2006-07-08. There is however no scope in the short to medium term
for the Pathfinder resources to take the place of a reduction
in English Partnership's commitment.
I have arranged to meet as a matter of urgency
with the English Partnership Regional Director to explore both
the scope for English Partnership's to continue to work closely
with this Pathfinder at the scale of resources originally indicated,
a sum of £55 million over the lifetime of the NewHeartlands
programme. We will consider jointly ways in which the respective
obligations of both organisations' can be dovetailed to ensure
maximum mutual benefit and outcome. For example, bringing together,
perhaps joint commissioning of strategic projects.
I am concerned, however, at the messages that
appear to be emerging from the recent discussions, and second
hand from elsewhere in ODPM, that English Partnerships priorities
are now changed and that there might be a need to look elsewhere
for financial support, the example of RDAs has been given which,
until now we had looked for English Partnership to cover.
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