Agenda and draft minutes

To elect a chair of the Abingdon Area Committee for the remainder of the 2010/11 municipal year. 

RESOLVED: To elect Councillor Alison Rooke as chair of the Abingdon Area Committee for the remainder of the 2010/11 municipal year. 

To elect a vice-chair of the Abingdon Area Committee for the remainder of the 2010/11 municipal year. 

RESOLVED: To elect Councillor Beth Fleming as vice-chair of the Abingdon Area Committee for the remainder of the 2010/11 municipal year. 

To receive apologies for absence.

Councillor Julia Bricknell had sent her apologies for absence. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 5 November 2009. 

RESOLVED:  To adopt as a correct record the minutes of the committee meeting held on 5 November 2009 and agree that the chair signs them. 

To receive any declarations of personal or personal and prejudicial interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

Councillors declared the following interests in the community grants item (minute Ab.23 refers):

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.

The chair announced that the application for a community grant from Abingdon 24^th Scout Group had been withdrawn from the agenda and the application would be referred to the North East Area Committee, as it was located within that area. 

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

The committee heard five statements from members of the public. 

(1)       Alastair Fear spoke on behalf of the Abingdon Town Amateur Boxing Club in support of its community grant application.  He outlined the benefits of the club to young people of the town and hoped the committee could award a grant towards the club’s plans for a new training hall. 

(2)       Gary Hibbens spoke on behalf of Abingdon Bridge.  This supported young people of Abingdon and helped them to engage in their community and take on a sense of ownership and belonging.  He sought funds towards this project. 

(3)               Marcus Nurton made a statement in support of Abingdon Rowing Club’s grant application.  The club had exhausted its funds removing an asbestos roof at its headquarters and now needed additional funding to carry out re-wiring. 

(4)       Rosemary Joseph spoke on behalf of Abingdon Music Festival seeking a grant towards its one-day master class in conducting an orchestra.  This was open to all and was free of charge. 

(5)       Malcolm Ross made a statement on behalf of the Abingdon Performing Arts Group in support of Abingdon Arts Festival 2012, highlighting the benefits of the festival to the local area. 

To consider report 121/10 of the head of corporate strategy. 

Councillors Janet Morgan and Laurel Symons both declared personal and prejudicial interests in the application by Abingdon Bridge and Councillor Mary de Vere declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the application by the South Abingdon Community Led Planning Group.  All three councillors left the meeting during consideration of these grant applications. 

The committee considered report 121/10 of the head of corporate strategy.  The report set out details of fourteen community grant applications.  New grants criteria had been introduced by the Executive to assess the grant applications.  The committee noted that it had a budget of £26,391 for grants in the 2011/12 financial year. 

The committee declined to offer a grant to Abingdon Chamber Concerts as councillors believed that it would have little community benefit.  The committee also referred the application from Abingdon 24^th Scout Group to the North East Area Committee as its headquarters was located in the north east area of the district. 

RESOLVED:

(a)               to approve the following grants:

(b)               To offer no grant to Abingdon Chamber Concerts; and

(c)        To refer the application from Abingdon 24^th Scout Group to the North East Area Committee as its headquarters is located in the north east area of the district. 

None