Agenda item

To consider the head of corporate strategy’s report.

The committee considered the head of corporate strategy’s report.  This set out details of two capital community grant applications.  The head of corporate strategy updated the officer’s recommendation for Preston Road Community Centre and clarified the council’s position on capital and revenue expenditure and how it would relate to the Preston Road application. 

The committee noted that the Cabinet had allocated a budget of £26,514 to spend on capital grants in 2012/13. 

The committee considered the applications and awarded grants to both applicants.   This left £20,503 in the committee’s budget. 

Later, the committee debated the capital grants scheme and the lack of applications on the agenda.  The committee was disappointed that only two applications had come forward and questioned why the scheme was limited to capital grants only when many community groups were in need of revenue funding.  The officers agreed to review the guidance notes to applicants to improve the guidance relating to capital expenditure.  The officers would also review whether the guidance was clear on advising applicants that they should approach their local parish or town council for additional funds. 

Councillors asked whether the scheme could be re-opened to allow further applications in the current financial year.  The officers reported that there were no plans to re-open the scheme again this year due to the limited staff resources to administer the various grant schemes.  The committee expressed concern at this, especially as £20,503 remained in the budget for this financial year.  The committee asked that a meeting was convened between the four area committee chairmen and the chairman and vice-chairman of the Scrutiny Committee to discuss this and to evaluate the current scheme, possibly through a scrutiny review group; the latter being a matter for Scrutiny Committee to determine.  The committee also asked the officers to look at better ways to inform councillors about the grant applications received, possibly through listing the details on the council’s website. 

RESOLVED:

(a)       To award the following grants:

(b)               To request democratic services to organise a meeting between the four area committee chairmen, the head of corporate strategy and the chairman and vice-chairman of the Scrutiny Committee to review the remaining budgets, provide feedback on the first round of the capital community grant scheme, and discuss whether to recommend that the scheme should be reviewed by a scrutiny review group;

(c)               In the event that the capital grants scheme cannot be re-opened for further applications in the current financial year, to recommend to Cabinet that the remaining budget be carried forward by each area committee to allow each committee to spend their surplus in 2013/14;

(d)               To recommend Cabinet that it should consider re-introducing the revenue grant scheme (by five votes to nil with two abstentions);

(e)               To request the officers to review the guidance to grant applicants to ensure that there is a clear explanation of capital and revenue costs and that applicants should approach their local town or parish council for additional funds; and

(f)                 To request the officers to look at better ways to inform councillors about the grant applications received, possibly through listing the details on the council’s website.