Agenda item

Accrington Neighbourhoods Board Regeneration Plan

Report attached.

Minutes:

With the approval of the Mayor in advance of the meeting, the following decision was exempted from the Council’s Call-In procedure in accordance with Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule C14, on the grounds that the decision was reasonable in all the circumstances and was an urgent decision not subject to Call-In, in view need to finalise the submission of the Plan to the Government by 28^th November 2025.

Councillor Whitehead declared a personal interest in this item as a member of the Board representing the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire.

Members considered a report of Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP, Leader of the Council, presenting the Accrington Neighbourhoods Board’s Regeneration Plan before this was submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The Leader of the Council gave a brief introduction to the report, including a summary of the Board’s membership, the Government’s Pride in Place agenda and funding streams and the Plan’s foundations building on the existing Masterplan for Accrington. He also highlighted the four pillars, as set out within the Pan, and noted that the first payment for project delivery was due to be received in April 2026.

Councillor Khan welcomed the additional funding and thanked the Leader for his role in the appointment of a new independent Chair to the Board. He placed on record his thanks to the previous Chair, whom he knew personally and whom he respected, and wished him well for the future. Councillor Khan then enquired about the following:

What reassurance was there that the Board and its processes would remain independent and would it be free to make its own recommendations;
Whether the Board’s recommendations would be taken forward as submitted, or would they be subject to alteration;
How consultations with residents would be supported;
Whether previous plans would be acknowledged and how previously identified projects could be prioritised so that some could commence straight away;
How the Council would attract in additional private investment to add to the £20M Fund; and
Whether the Board’s actions would be subject to the Council’s overview and scrutiny arrangements.

Councillor Dad responded that the original appointee to the role of Chair was also an independent person, as stated on previous occasions. He added that the Board itself was independent, but was supported by a range of stakeholders including the Borough Council. The Council would consider the Board’s proposals favourably but, as the accountable body, had certain obligations. It was hoped to be able to improve marketing of the Board’s work, in conjunction with publicity for the other town centre projects. Consultations had already taken place with schools, colleges and businesses and a video had recently been produced. Use would be made of existing plans and work undertaken previously. The intention was to attract in other money wherever possible. The Board’s work would be monitored by the Cabinet, but the Cabinet’s decisions would then be subject to scrutiny in the usual way.

Councillor Whitehead reiterated the independence of the Board, but noted that ‘independent’ was not defined in the governance documents applicable to the Board. The Council was a crucial partner, as well as being the accountable body and the importance of its role should not be understated. The Board itself was a good example of key partners working collaboratively for the benefit of the community. David Welsby, Chief Executive, added that the Council was working hard to foster a good working relationship with the Board, respecting its independence, while exercising the authority’s statutory duties and carrying out due diligence. The Board was not a corporate body and, accordingly, the Council would have to take responsibility for any actions requiring the involvement of a legal entity. On the matter of public engagement, councillors themselves had the mandate to represent the views of the community as elected members.

Councillor Dad thanked the officers involved in supporting the Board, particularly the Head of Policy and Organisational Development, Kirsten Burnett.

Approval of the report was deemed a key decision.

Reasons for Decision

The Fund

The Plan for Neighbourhoods fund had allocated 10-year investment across 75 areas in the UK, with up to £20 million per place to regenerate communities, strengthen social infrastructure, and empower local decision-making. This funding would be given over a 10 year period, starting in the 2026/27 financial year.

The objectives of the funding were stated as follows:

Thriving Places: Revitalise high streets, improve public services, and enhance physical infrastructure.
Stronger Communities: Foster social cohesion, reduce crime, and rebuild trust.
Taking Back Control: Boost skills, employment, and local economic opportunities.

A similar funding stream was previously known as the Long-Term Plan for Towns fund. Plan for Neighbourhoods had replaced this. The UK Government had subsequently announced the Pride in Place Strategy and Programme, which extended this investment to additional areas. At the time of writing the report, the Plan for Neighbourhoods guidance still applied to Accrington.

The Pride in Place Programme had also recently allocated a further £1.5M to Hyndburn via its new Impact Fund. This was not covered within this report and was not a matter for the Neighbourhoods Board.

Governance and the Neighbourhoods Board

The guidance stated that funding would be managed through a “partnership” between the:

Neighbourhoods Board, responsible for co-producing the Regeneration Plan for their place, which constituted a 10-year vision and 4-year investment plan, and delivering in the interests of local people to improve the physical and social infrastructure of their community.
Local authority, who would support the Neighbourhoods Board to develop and deliver the plan.
Local community, who would engage on the place's priorities and hold the Neighbourhoods Board and local authority to account.

Board Membership

The Board was required to have an independent chair, who was approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The chair was Sami Smithson.

There were 4 mandated Board members: the MP, a representative of the Police and Crime Commissioner, a local district councillor and a Lancashire County Council councillor. The named members were:

Sarah Smith MP;
Kimberley Whitehead, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner;
Councillor Munsif Dad BEM JP; and
County Councillor Ashley Joynes.

In addition, there were a number of other Board members, representing a range of skills and areas of work, for example community, health, education and business. They in turn might work with small focus groups or relevant community representatives to discuss aspects of the work or specific projects.

An updated list of Board members, with short profiles, was maintained at https://accringtontownsquare.com/plan-for-neighbourhoods/

Funding Profile

The funding was 75% capital, 25% revenue, with the first delivery payment due in April 2026. Subsequent funding would be released in phases.

Grant £000	2023-25	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28	2028-29	2029-30	2030-31	2031-32	2032-33	2033-34	2034-35	2035-36
Capacity Funding	250	200	150
Revenue			232	256	432	432	432	437	450	450	450	450
Capital			360	1736	1605	1605	1605	1605	1605	1605	1605	1605

The 10 year period was divided into 3 investment periods

Period 1: the 2026 to 2027 financial year to the 2029 to 2030 financial year (4 years)
Period 2: the 2030 to 2031 financial year to the 2032 to 2033 financial year (3 years)
Period 3: the 2033 to 2034 financial year to the 2035 to 2036 financial year (3 years)

Within each investment period, the Board would have to forecast to spend at least 25% of the cumulative allocation for that investment period. By the end of Year 7 (financial year 2032 to 2033 and the end of the second investment period), the Board must have spent at least 50% of the cumulative total allocation. Underspending risked delayed or reduced future payments.

The table above also showed the capacity funding available for governance and planning. Some of this (£50k) had been spent in 2024, when the existing Towns Board was planning for the Long Term Plan for Towns Fund. In the current financial year, some funding had been allocated to staff costs and some Board expenses. The Board would receive budget updates at each meeting.

It should be noted that Board positions, including chair, were unpaid.

MHCLG had designated the Council as the accountable body for all funding received and recommendations from the Board, once proposed projects had been fully scoped, would be brought to Cabinet for formal approval.

Community Engagement

A number of engagement exercises had been carried out in recent years, asking people about their views on the regeneration of Accrington town centre. This had included representative polling. The Board had more recently conducted a series of workshops and drop-ins, to communicate and seek further views on the plan. Community engagement would be an ongoing priority for the Board.

Geographical Boundary

The geographical boundary for the funding was determined by Government and was based on built-up area boundaries (BUA). The BUA were boundaries used by government bodies and policymakers to inform decisions related to housing, economic development, and urban planning. The Accrington BUA crossed 10 Hyndburn wards (Altham, Barnfield, Baxenden, Central, Church, Huncoat, Milnshaw, Peel, Spring Hill and St Andrews), ranging from a small estate in Altham to the whole of the Peel ward.

The Board would be able, if it so wished, to make representations to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to alter its default boundary. Boards should not submit requests to remove areas from the boundary unless they could evidence a clear error in its inclusion. Any alteration would have to:

remain within the spirit of the programme;
retain the place that was originally selected;
remain contiguous;
not introduce additional, separate population centres into the agreed area (for example, different communities or neighbourhoods); and
have the agreement of the Board and a clear rationale.

The report included a map which identified the geographical boundary currently set.

Regeneration Plan

The Board was required to agree and submit a Regeneration Plan coving the first four years of the funding programme, with a 10 year vision. The deadline for submission was 28^th November 2025.

The Board had spent recent months developing its Plan, which was based around 4 pillars:

· Pillar 1 - People (Skills, Health and Recreation)

· Pillar 2 - Urban Regeneration and Housing

· Pillar 3 - Environment, Transport and Industry

· Pillar 4 - Delivery, Investment and Monitoring

Vision

The Board had built on the work recently completed for the Accrington Masterplan and had included the Vision statement below within the Plan.

“Our Vision: A Town Reborn

The Accrington We're Creating

Picture Accrington in 2036: a vibrant market town where heritage buildings buzz with life, where green spaces connect our communities, where independent businesses thrive, and where every resident has access to opportunity.

The Accrington Masterplan sets out this inspiring long-term vision, structured around five transformative themes:

· Celebrate Accrington's unique identity - honouring our past while building our future

· Encourage enterprise and economic growth - creating jobs and opportunity

· Green the town centre - bringing nature into the heart of our town

· Connect communities - making it easier to get around and bring people together

· Develop town centre living - creating homes people are proud to live in

Our Masterplan Vision in Full

Accrington is a proud market town steeped in industrial, cultural, and architectural heritage.

Celebrating this unique character, the Town Centre will become a vibrant, bustling and thriving place. Revitalised heritage buildings and streets will welcome visitors and locals to sample the best of Lancashire's home-grown produce and diverse mix of local eateries, browse independent shops and cultural venues, and relax in family-friendly green spaces.

Accrington will promote direct connections to the delights of the surrounding Lancashire countryside. Verdant green and blue corridors will reflect the area's landscape character,while vibrant open spaces and animated waterways will reinforce the town's identity as a place that offers its residents and visitors alike wonderful access to nature, walks and green spaces.

The Town Centre will boast a permeable network of safe and attractive cycling and walking routes, connecting surrounding communities into the heart of the town. New homes, businesses, leisure and community activities will drive a growing Town Centre population.

Building on the town's legacy of hard working and dedicated entrepreneurs, distinct neighbourhoods will support communities of innovative and complementary enterprises. New attractive, dynamic and accessible public, social and commercial spaces will host numerous popular events, with diverse leisure facilities for all ages, supporting flourishing business communities to prosper and grow.

We are proud of our history and look forward to a renewed and exciting future.”

There were no alternative options for consideration or reasons

Resolved - That Cabinet:

(1) Endorses the Accrington Neighbourhoods Board’s Regeneration Plan (“the Plan”) attached to this report.

(2) Grants delegated authority to the Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with the Neighbourhoods Board, Executive Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer) and Executive Director (Legal & Democratic Services) to accept the Plan for Neighbourhoods (also now referred to as Pride in Place Phase 1) funding in accordance with MHCLG grant terms and conditions.

(3) Grants delegated authority to the Chief Executive Officer to agree expenditure from the capacity funding outlined in Paragraph 3.10 of this report.

Supporting documents: