Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were recorded from Councillors Gervase Duffield and Laurel Symons.

To adopt and sign as correct records the Minutes of the Meeting of the Abingdon Area Committee held on 1 February 2006, (previously circulated with the Council Summons dated 22 February 2006). 

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on Abingdon Area Committee held on 1 February 2006 were adopted and signed as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of Personal or Personal and Prejudicial Interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

In accordance with Part 2 of the Local Code of Conduct and the provisions of Standing Order 34, any Member with a personal interest must disclose the existence and nature of that interest to the meeting prior to the matter being debated.  Where that personal interest is also a prejudicial interest, then the Member must withdraw from the room in which the meeting is being held and not seek improperly to influence any decision about the matter unless he/she has obtained a dispensation from the Standards Committee.

Councillor Janet Morgan declared a personal interest in the grant application from the Abingdon NET in so far as she was a member of the NET’s Management Committee.

Councillors Peter Green, Peter Jones, Monica Lovatt, Julie Mayhew-Archer and Alison Rooke each declared a personal interest in the grant application from the Abingdon NET in so far as they were Abingdon Town Councillors and Abingdon Town Council had been asked to consider funding.

To receive notification of any matters, which the Chair determines, should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances, which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the Chair.

Chair’s Announcements

The Chair announced that future meetings of the Committee would be held on the following dates: -

Thursday 6 July 2006

Thursday 19 October 2006

Thursday 22 March 2007

Urgent Business

In accordance with Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 and Standing Order 21(4) she had agreed to accept an item of urgent business regarding requests from Sutton Courtenay Parish Council concerning a review of boundaries for area committees; the introduction of forums; and discussion of other matters.  The letter was considered as urgent business in view of the need to consider the matter before the start of the new financial year in view of the need to allocate resources.  (Minute Ab.41 refers).

Any statements and/or petitions from the public under Standing Order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

None.

Any questions from members of the public under Standing Order 32 will be asked at the meeting.

None.

At the last meeting of the Committee held on 1 February 2006, an application was considered from Abingdon Concert Band towards the cost of purchasing a pair of timpanis and running a Play Day workshop. 

The Committee resolved to underwrite the Play Day up to a maximum of £100 but deferred a decision on the timpanis pending further information on other outstanding grant applications. 

Abingdon Concert Band has recently advised the Council that its application to Awards for All for the purchase of the timpanis was successful and as a result the Band will not be seeking a grant from the Vale for this purpose. 

Recommendation

That the agenda report be noted.

The Committee received and considered an agenda item which reminded Members that at the last meeting, an application was considered from the Abingdon Concert Band towards the cost of purchasing a pair of timpanis and running a Play Day workshop. 

The Committee resolved to underwrite the Play Day up to a maximum of £100 but deferred a decision on the timpanis pending further information on other outstanding grant applications. 

It was reported that Abingdon Concert Band had recently advised the Council that its application to Awards for All for the purchase of the timpanis had been successful and as a result the Band would not be seeking a grant from the Vale for this purpose. 

RESOLVED

that the agenda report be noted.

The Committee is asked to receive and consider report 259/05 of the Strategic Director attached.

Introduction and Report Summary

The purpose of this report is to set out the current budget position for the Abingdon Area Committee for Community Grants and to invite Members to consider and determine the grant application received since the last meeting; and to consider and determine parish cleansing bids received for 2006/07.

The contact officer for this report is Lorna Edwards, Community Strategy Officer (Tel: 01235 547626).

Recommendations

(a)               Members are asked to note that the Committee’s remaining budget for 2005/06 is £12,755.48;

(b)               Members are asked to determine the grant award, the agenda and the Council priority in respect of the following application: -

The NET, Abingdon, £4,500, towards the cost of running a Saturday evening session for young people, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(c)        Members are asked to note that three applications have been received for a grant of £500 or less and, in accordance with the Council’s policy, these are being considered under delegated authority by the Head of Innovation & Enterprise in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, and that information on any grant awarded will be provided verbally at the meeting;

(d)        Members are asked to note that the budget for the Abingdon Area Committee for the next financial year, 2006/07, is £28,220 as determined by the Executive at its meeting on 3 March 2006, based on the percentage of the electorate in Abingdon at 1 January 2006; and

(e)               Members are asked to consider and determine the bids for parish cleansing in 2006/07 which comply with the criteria, noting that any grants awarded will be allocated from the 2006/07 budget.

Councillors Peter Green, Peter Jones, Monica Lovatt, Janet Morgan, Julie Mayhew-Archer and Laurel Symons had each declared a personal interest in part of this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 they remained in the meeting during its consideration.

The Committee received and considered report 259/05 of the Strategic Director, the purpose of which was to set out the current budget position for the Abingdon Area Committee for Community Grants and to invite Members to consider and determine the grant application received since the last meeting; and to consider and determine parish cleansing bids received for 2006/07.

The report was considered as follows: -

1.         Grant application – The NET, Abingdon

It was reported that the County Council would fund workers but not activities or equipment.  Overhead costs would be met by the NET.  A grant had been sought from Abingdon Town Council and it was thought that any grants received would cover the total capital costs and running costs.

In terms of sustaining the project, it was reported that the NET had indicated that grant awards this year would give the organisation “breathing space” and that other sources of funding could be secured for the future when there would be no capital costs.

Consultation with young people had identified that a cinema was needed in Abingdon.  It was estimated that up to 150 people could attend each film showing.  It was noted that the project was aimed at a 13 – 19 year old age group.  It was noted that there were no funds available from the Community Safety Partnership as all funds had been allocated.  It was noted that it was difficult to quantify the exact costs of the project, for example the hire costs of films had not been included.  The NET would not be charging admission fees although there would be a membership fee.

It was noted that £4,500 was sought towards the capital costs of the project.  It was considered that funding towards capital costs would be appropriate although there was less support for funding running costs as this might set a precedent for future years.  Consideration was given as to whether a grant offer should be subject to matched funding by the County Council, although this suggestion was not supported.

2.         Applications for £500 or less

            The Committee was advised of three applications for £500 or less as follows:-

3.         Parish Council Cleansing Bids

It was noted that Appleford was undertaking a small amount of work only.

RESOLVED

(a)                     that the Committee’s remaining budget for 2005/06 of £12,755.48 be noted;

(b)                     that such funds as are required be transferred from the environmental agenda to the social agenda to meet the grant award as set out below;

(c)                     that the following grant be awarded: -

At the first two meetings of the current financial year, the Committee had considered the idea of a prospectus setting out the Committee’s priorities in providing support to the local community.  A draft prospectus had been prepared and amendments had been discussed.  The Amended draft prospectus is attached as an Appendix to this agenda.

At its meeting on 1 February the Committee had been invited to consider an amended draft prospectus.  However, in view of the number of grant applications presented to the Committee at that meeting it was resolved to defer consideration of the amended prospectus until this meeting.

The amended draft prospectus now has an introduction which is designed to explain the role of the Area Committee in relation to the Vale Community Strategy and the Oxfordshire Local Area Agreement.  The introduction also makes it clear that the Committee has a limited budget but may be able to offer a suitable project a small financial grant. 

The prospectus can help the Area Committee to demonstrate its community leadership role by championing projects that promote community self help and are consistent with the priorities of the Vale Community Strategy.

The prospectus will act as guide for applicants by indicating the Committee’s priorities for support.  However, it will need to make clear that each application is determined on its individual merits and that the Committee is free to support project activity which is not mentioned in the prospectus.

Members are requested to determine the final content of the prospectus and to decide whether they wish to convene an Abingdon Area Forum meeting in order to facilitate public consultation on the content.

Recommendations

(a)               Members are invited to consider the amended draft prospectus, attached as an Appendix to this Agenda setting out the Committee’s priorities for support to the local community in 2006/07 and to determine the final content of the prospectus, and;

(b)               Members are requested to determine the need to convene an Abingdon Area Forum meeting to facilitate public consultation on the content of the prospectus.

The Committee received and considered an agenda item which advised that the Committee had considered previously the idea of a prospectus setting out the Committee’s priorities in providing support to the local community.  A draft prospectus had been prepared and amendments had been discussed. 

The amended draft prospectus now included an introduction which was designed to explain the role of the Area Committee in relation to the Vale Community Strategy and the Oxfordshire Local Area Agreement.  The introduction also made it clear that the Committee had a limited budget but might be able to offer a small financial grant to a suitable project. 

The prospectus could help the Area Committee to demonstrate its community leadership role by championing projects that promoted community self help and were consistent with the priorities of the Vale Community Strategy.

The prospectus would act as guide for applicants by indicating the Committee’s priorities for support.  However, it would need to make clear that each application was determined on its individual merits and that the Committee was free to support project activity which was not mentioned in the prospectus.

Members are requested to determine the final content of the prospectus and to decide whether they wish to convene an Abingdon Area Forum meeting in order to facilitate public consultation on the content.

The Amended draft prospectus attached as an Appendix to the agenda was considered in detail and the following comments made: -

Prospectus

·         The Prospectus was based on strands and themes from the Community Strategy which Members might not find relevant to Abingdon.

·         Some details of previous grants should be included.

·         A “layman’s version” of the prospectus should be produced, it being considered that the use of the text set out in the “Priorities in Abingdon and Area in 2006/07” column would be suitable.

·         Readers would be put off by a lengthy document.

Distribution

·         Consideration needed to be given as to how the Prospectus would be circulated.

·         It was noted that was intended that it would be sent to Abingdon area grant recipients (those who had received a grant previously or who had expressed an interest in applying for a grant); it would be available on the web, at libraries and it would be provided to applicants.

·         A copy of the “layman’s version” of the prospectus should be included on the web.

Front Sheet

·         This was aimed at promoting some projects which would benefit the Abingdon Area.

Page 1

·         Transport should be  lower down in the document, although it was noted that the order was as per the Community Strategy.

Page 2

·         It might be that young groups would wish to undertake the consultation themselves.

·         Details should be included about existing communities.

Page 3

·         This seemed limited.  Details should cover existing groups and projects.

·         This could include priorities where the Committee did not wish to include anything new, rather a continuation of existing good work, with the sorts of projects highlighted.  However, there was no desire to discourage new applications.

·         In the priorities support for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

As referred to elsewhere in these minutes the Chair had agreed to the consideration of this item as a matter of urgent business.

The Committee received and considered a letter from Sutton Courtenay Parish Council dated 17 March 2006, a copy of which was circulated at the meeting.  

The letter expressed concern that at one time Sutton Courtney had been within the area for the South East Forum and Committee.  The parishes that used to comprise the South East area were rural parishes with issues and problems similar to Sutton Courtenay.    Guest speakers had attended the forum meetings and the system had appeared very successful.  The review of the area committee boundaries had taken place and Sutton Courtenay had been placed in the Abingdon area.  Since that time the Parish Council had felt overshadowed by the Town and its events.  It was explained that the District Councillors for the Abingdon Wards who served on the Abingdon Area Committee outnumbered the two Sutton Courtenay and Drayton Members.  A recent check of the Minutes of this Committee for 1 February had shown a predominance of town matters and grants to town organisations, the town council and individuals.  Sutton Courtenay Parish Council had therefore requested the following: -

(a)               that a recommendation should be made to the Council that a review of the boundaries of the area committee should take place in order to put similar parishes with similar issues together;

(b)               that the forum meetings should be introduced on a regular basis prior to the area committee meetings;

(c)               that, if appropriate, the following matters which affect the parish be discussed by the Area Committee: -

(i)         the volume and impact of traffic that came with piecemeal planning applications;

(ii)        the local council responses to planning applications and the value of their comments;

(iii)       litter picking within the area, poor street cleansing and how it was being resolved.

The Committee was advised that a review of the boundaries of the area committees was not proposed at this time and it was considered unreasonable to undertake such a review at the request of one parish council only.  However, it was commented that the views of parish councils were welcome.

In terms of hosting meetings of the forum, it was noted that the Council had agreed a budget cut which required a reduction in meetings by 25%, a reduction which had yet to be achieved.

In terms of predominance in considering town matters and grants to town organisations, the town council and individuals, it was commented that the Committee could only consider applications received. 

With reference to litter picking, it was commented that parish councils had authority to undertake this.  Some parish councils included an element in their parish precept to pay for this and it was suggested that Sutton Courtney Parish Council could do the same if they thought that litter picking was sufficiently important

RESOLVED

that the letter be noted.

None.