Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Meeting Room 1, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Milton, OX14 4SB

Contact: Harry Gable 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for absence

To record apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Alice Badcock, Debby Hallett, Bob Johnston and Catherine Webber.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 306 KB

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Abingdon and North East Area Committee minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2018. 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2018 were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting and were signed by the Chairman.

3.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of interest in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Minutes:

Councillor Dudley Hoddinott declared that he was a member of North Hinksey PCC and that he would step down from the committee when the item was considered, to enable him to speak in support of their application.

4.

Urgent business and chairman's announcements

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

Minutes:

None.

5.

Public participation

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

Minutes:

Speakers representing the applicants were present for three of the applications. They would speak when their application was under consideration, and also had the opportunity to respond to questions of clarification from the committee.

 

In the case of Damascus PCC, who had made funding applications to both the capital grants and NHB schemes for the same project, it was decided that they could address the committee for both applications at the same time in the interest of avoiding duplication.

 

The speakers were as follows:

 

North Hinksey PCC: Dudley Hoddinott.

 

Damascus PCC: Fred Cubbage, accompanied by Helen Kendrick.

 

Abingdon Rowing Club: Reverend Kevin Mentzel.

 

 

6.

Community Grants pdf icon PDF 611 KB

To consider the head of community services’ report.

Minutes:

All Saints Methodist Church Abingdon

 

The officer introduced the application by All Saints Methodist Church Abingdon for a capital grant of £7,500 towards a £130,910 project to refurbish the existing toilet facilities in the church. Officers had recommended that any grant awarded should be conditional upon agreement from the applicants that:

 

·         no work can start until they have a contract for the works and have secured all the funding needed to fund the whole project;

·         they consider the equality and sustainability feedback contained within the officer’s report and implement any suggestions where physically possible.

 

No speakers were present for this application. The committee debated the item.

 

RESOLVED:

1.    To approve the officer’s recommended score of 7 points out of a possible 9.

2.    To approve the officer’s recommended grant of 5.73 per cent of the total cost, capped to £7,500, the amount requested by the applicants. This grant was subject to the conditions listed above.

 

 

North Hinksey PCC (St. Peter and Paul Church)

 

The officer introduced the application by North Hinksey PCC for a grant of £1,117 towards a £2,234 project to replace the existing kitchen at St. Peter and Paul Church, as well as installing hand dryers and fireguards.

 

Councillor Dudley Hoddinott stood down from the committee and did not vote on the item. He spoke in favour of the application as a member of North Hinksey PCC. and gave his view that this project would deliver much needed health and safety work in the church, allowing it to continue to be used as a venue for several different community groups.

 

The committee debated the item.

 

RESOLVED:

1.    To approve the officer’s recommended score of 5 points out of a possible 9.

2.    To approve the officer’s recommended grant of 37.50 per cent of the total cost, capped to £838, £279 less than the amount requested.

 

 

Damascus PCC

 

The officer introduced the application by Damascus PCC for a grant of £30,000 towards a £508,697 project to create a church hall in Sutton Courtenay. Officers had recommended that any grant awarded should be conditional upon agreement from the applicants that:

 

·         no work should start until the council’s grant agreement is complete, they have completed their tender process and have secured all the funding needed.

·         they must consider the equality and sustainability feedback contained within the officer’s report and implement any suggestions where possible.

 

The officer also advised that there was Neighbourhood Plan in progress which may identify a need for more community space, and whether this project was the community’s preferred solution.

 

Fred Cubbage, of Damascus PCC, spoke in favour of the application and answered questions from the committee. He provided an update on the finances of the PCC, and spoke of how Sutton Courtenay is currently lacking in appropriate space and facilities to hold community events. This in turn was negatively impacting on community identity, which the creation of a new church hall would address. He pointed out that the Neighbourhood Plan was still in the early stages  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

 

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