Insider Media Limited

Liverpool is expecting to be one of the first cities to give out money from the Growing Places Fund after landing £13.2m. The city's local enterprise partnership (LEP) said it expects to have the cash by the end of the month, Insider has been told.

Schemes had been planned before the final amount was confirmed by the government on Tuesday (1 February 2011). This is despite the LEP having not 'officially' launched.

Martin Eyres, head of European affairs at Liverpool City Council, said: "The LEP is up and running and it is doing things – it's just not constitutionalised.

"Seventeen possible schemes have been identified, some big and some small. Next week the LEP's working group will meet to look at the schemes and apply the criteria to come up with prioritised lists."

The majority of the schemes are housing and there is at least one from each local authority. The council is also asking developers to get in touch with their ideas.

Only schemes with planning permission and a developer in place will be considered.

Eyres said: "We were told we'd receive £12.9m, so the amount we have received is in the ball park and is slightly more than we expected."

The council, which is currently managing the LEP, said it is still waiting to receive a formal offer but expects to have the money in the bank before the end of February. Arrangements are in place for the funding decisions to be made in March.