COUNCILLORS are set to get an update of the audit of nuclear sector funding at a meeting in Carlisle next week.
Members of Cumberland Council’s audit and risk committee are due to meet at The Civic Centre in the city on Monday (April 13) where they will consider the report.
It states: “The Sellafield nuclear site, which has been in a decommissioning and clean-up phase since 2003, falls within Cumberland Council’s administrative area.”
According to the report legislation requires the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to have regard for the impact of its activities on communities living near its sites, in addition to its wider responsibilities.
It adds: “There are currently several different nuclear funds that the council receives and claims funding from.
“These have been inherited from legacy councils following Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), with some funding covering the cost of council officers who work on particular nuclear related activity/account for resources the council requires due to housing a nuclear site within its area and others to be used in relation to providing social, economic or environmental benefits to communities living near the nuclear site.”
According to the report the funding streams include:
- Responsible Authority funding – the latest agreement ended March 2025. Council submits an annual schedule of planned funding use and invoice to receive funding;
- Social Impact Investment funding (SIIF) – proposed budget allocation submitted and council raises invoice for funding and directly uses or administers the funding to external providers;
- Planning Performance funding – the council submits claim data and raises invoice to recoup allowable officer costs;
- Mid and South Copeland Community Partnership funding – the council submits claim data and raises invoice to recoup allowable officer costs;
- Copeland Community Fund – the council raises invoice for agreed payment amount and manage and allocate it to projects (potential for the council to apply for this funding from internal team that manages it); and
- Strategic Alliance funding – latest agreement ended March 2025. Individual business cases were submitted to access this funding which is being used on three council capital projects.
According to the report it was acknowledged by various officers during the review that improvements to governance arrangements for nuclear funding are required within the council, with several discussions around improvements ongoing at the time of the audit.
It states: “One funding stream has well developed governance arrangements and documented processes in place but improvements are required in relation to other large funding streams.
“Roles and responsibilities for all nuclear funding are not clearly set out and no one person has oversight of all funding.
“Arrangements to provide internal assurance that the council follows all terms and conditions of nuclear funding it receives require further enhancement.”
According to the report compliance with terms reduces risks and is an important aspect of good governance and accountability so assurance should be provided on this.
It adds: “Funding agreements have not been used with all external funding recipients. Given that the council accepts funding agreements containing terms and conditions these funding conditions should be passed on to external beneficiaries to ensure clear accountability for compliance with them.
“Information on use of funding has not been regularly reported to senior/responsible officers and has led to some underspends of funding not being identified until the year end, when limited corrective action can be taken.
“Although underspends have not been reclaimed by funders to date, they have this option per the terms of funding agreements.”
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