§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the criteria for assessing applications for financial support for economic and physical regeneration initiatives for funds administered by his Department; and what account they take of(a) the variation in the availability of previously developed land and buildings and (b) other considerations of environmental capacity. [152338]
§ Ms Beverley HughesThe assessment of applications for financial support for regeneration initiatives is based on a project appraisal. Guidance on appraisal is provided in the Treasury Green Book (1997) and in "A Framework for the Evaluation of Regeneration Projects and Programmes" (EGRUP, 1995). The basic requirements for an appraisal include assessing:
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- need for the project;
- the project's fit with local regeneration strategies;
- sustainability;
- aims of the project;
- alternative options;
- costs, values and benefits of a project, including environmental and economic effects;
- timing of these costs, values and benefits;
- value for money;
- additionality of outputs—looking at what additional outputs are delivered above those that would occur anyway;
- project viability and risks to the project, including details as to how these risks will be minimised.
The appraisal should assess whether there are any suitable brownfield sites on which to locate the project before considering greenfield sites.
The Single Regeneration Budget supports schemes run by local regeneration partnerships, which can include economic and physical regeneration projects. It is for the partnership to decide the criteria for supporting a project, subject to it linking to the overall scheme objectives agreed previously with the RDA; limits under EC state aid regulations; and rigorous project appraisal, which would include all of the above.