Decision

To award £105,700 in Levelling Up
Partnership funds to the Lincolnshire Community Foundation for the
purpose of distributing delegated grants to community facilities,
village halls and Parish Councils in Boston Borough.

In line with the Levelling Up Partnership Scheme’s Investment
Plan agreed with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local
Government, an allocation of £90,000 was approved for this
purpose within the District’s Investment Plan, which has
since been augmented through an underspend allocation. This
decision to formally enter into contract for these funds and to
deliver the Scheme in Financial Year 2025-6.

The funding will act as a ‘top up’ to the UK Shared
Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund investment of
£176,619 into the Scheme agreed through the District’s
UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan and the Leader decision
made in April 2025 (see supporting papers below) to support
re-contracting the Scheme as part of the agreement of the
District’s UKSPF and RPF Investment Plan in April 2025. The
grants will ensure that at least an additional four community
facilities will receive capital grant aid to support renovation and
in so doing, will support the development of new community
facilities in Boston Borough.

Reasons for the decision

To award funds to the above recipient in line
with the agreed Investment Plan for the Community Organisations
package within the Boston Levelling Up Partnership
Programme.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing – Doing nothing would risk
the Council not meeting commitments made under the Levelling Up
Partnership Scheme Investment Plan, resulting in the realisation of
an underspend on the Programme. The resultant underspend may have
to be returned to Central Government, resulting in a loss in
investment in Boston. This would pose both a reputational risk to
the Council and would be a ‘missed opportunity’ in
terms of local growth/economic impact.

Similarly, this would result in a missed opportunity to make a
series of vital investments in community facilities in the Borough.
The 2023-5 LCF GRASSroots Programme delivered nearly £500,000
worth of investment to 25 community facilities across Boston
Borough and this investment builds upon that successful model to
deliver for more community facilities locally.