Recommendation 148

We heard that the multiple funding programmes were uncoordinated and had overlapping objectives: “Each [programme] is a well-meant bit of public investments … but our [the new Government’s] analysis is that it is less than the sum of its parts.” 292 This was making it confusing for local authorities and difficult for them to plan their applications to secure the best value. Although many of these funds had similar aims, they were not designed in a coherent manner and the programmes were announced separately. 293 According to the NAO, this meant that “local authorities could not plan their bids across the funding streams to secure the most value”. 294 Councillor Slade told the Committee: “Every day, there is one or more bit of funding about which I have to think, ‘I wonder whether my officers are aware of this’. I send it to the relevant officer and ask, ‘Have we bid for this? Is it relevant to us?’ That creates a huge amount of work with people having to respond to me.” 295