Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Simon Howell and Melinda Tilley.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 25 November 2013 (attached). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2013 were agreed as a correct record of the meeting and the vice-chairman (in the chair) signed them.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

No councillors had disclosable pecuniary interests in any of the applications.

Some councillors had a conflict of interest, as they were part of the management committee or council of the applicant. These councillors declared their interests, as below, and did not take part in the debate or vote on these items.

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. 

Each item would be discussed on its own merits and assessed individually.

Any statements, petitions and questions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

To consider the report of the head of corporate strategy.

The committee considered the head of corporate strategy’s report that set out details of the new homes bonus community funding scheme.  The cabinet member for grants had approved the policy and procedure and delegated authority to the four area committees to determine the grant applications.  The Council had set a budget of £100,000 for this scheme.  The apportionment between the area committees was based on the amount of housing growth in each area from April 2008 to March 2013.  In the west area of the district, 514 new homes had been built in this five-year period, equating to a budget of £39,800 for the committee to award to applications under this scheme in the current financial year. 

The committee noted that the council’s chief finance officer had advised that any new homes bonus community funding that was not awarded by the end of this financial year could be carried forward to the following year’s budget.  The published draft budget for 2014/15 included a proposal for a further £100,000 new homes bonus community funding, for apportionment between the four area committees. 

The committee carefully considered each application under this scheme.  Thirteen applications had been received.  The committee assessed these against a high, medium or low ranking for each parish, dependent on the number of new homes completed in the qualifying five-year period.  Those parishes with the most new homes were awarded a ‘high’ ranking.  The committee used this as a guide to prioritise the applications but was not bound by it. 

The committee considered the application by the Wanborough Anti-Flood Group, but established that Watchfield, Shrivenham and other areas in the Vale would not be affected by the works sought and so agreed not to consider this further.

The following awards were made by the committee:

All money allocated to this area committee was, therefore, awarded and there would be no carry forward to the next financial year.