Agenda and minutes

To note with great sadness that Councillor Jim Moley, the Chair of this Committee passed away in January.

Councillor Joyce Hutchinson, the Vice Chair is asked to take the Chair for this meeting, the remaining meeting of the municipal year.

The Committee noted with sadness that the Chair, Councillor Jim Moley, had passed away in January.

Councillor Joyce Hutchinson, the Vice Chair took the Chair for the meeting and acknowledged Councillor Moley’s significant contribution to this Committee.

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Anthony Hayward, Andrew Crawford, Bill Mellotti, Zoe Patrick and Michael Murray.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Section I Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee South East Area Committee held on 23 October 2008, (previously circulated with the Council Summons dated). 

The minutes of the South East Area Committee meeting held on 23 October 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. 

Any Member with a personal interest or a personal and prejudicial interest in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct, in any matter to be considered at a meeting , mush declare the existence and nature of that interest as soon as the interest becomes apparent in accordance with the provisions of the Code.

When a Member declares a personal and prejudicial interest he shall also state whether he has a dispensation from the Standards Committee entitling him or her to speak, or speak and vote on the matter concerned.

Where any Member has declared a personal and prejudicial interest he shall withdraw from the room while the matter is under consideration unless,

(a)               His/Her disability to speak, or speak and vote on the matter has been removed by a dispensation from the Standards Committee, or

(b)               Members of the public are allowed to make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter by statutory right or otherwise. If that is the case, the Member can also attend the meeting for that purpose. However the Member must immediately leave the room once he/she has finished; or when the meeting decides he/she has finished whichever is the earlier and in any event the Member must leave the room for the duration of the debate on the item in which he/she has a personal and prejudicial interest.

Councillor Terry Cox declared a personal interest in item 8, “Community Grants”, in particular in relation to the application from the Charney Hall and Field Trust’s application, in that he was the District Council’s representative on the Parish Council for over 20 years.

Councillor Julia Reynolds declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 8, “Community Grants”, in particular in relation to the application from the Wantage Summer Festival 2008, in that she was involved in its organisation.

Councillor Richard Farrell declared a personal interest in item 8, “Community Grants”, in particular in relation to the Parish Council Cleansing grants in that he was a member of Blewbury Parish Council.

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.

None

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

Ms Julia Edwards had given notice that she wished to make a statement to the Committee on behalf of the Grove Church of England Primary School grant application.

Ms Edwards explained that the school was a partnership foundation unit, which catered for children aged 2-5 and was seeking a grant from the Committee towards the cost of the creation of a sensory garden, which would have all weather access. She advised that it was intended that children from neighbouring schools would be able to enjoy the garden. She confirmed that the school had raised £7000 itself, and the grant would assist in the development of the project. She confirmed that it was hope that there would be planting projects for the children, and that there was no other such garden for young school children to enjoy in Grove.

Ms Edwards passed some photographs of the area amongst the Committee Members.

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

None

To receive and consider report 152/07 of the Head of Community Strategy and the Monitoring Officer.

Introduction and Report Summary

The purpose of this report is to set out the current budget position for this Committee in respect of Community Grants in 2007/08, to invite Members to consider and determine the grant applications received since the last meeting and to agree a principle for awarding grants for additional parish cleansing; following full Council on 27^th February officers will give a verbal report on the community grants budget for the South East Area Committee in 2008/09.

Recommendations

(a) Members are asked to note that the Committee’s remaining budget for 2007/08 is £8,635.88

(b) Members are asked to consider and determine the grant application, the agenda

     and the Council priority in respect of the following:

(i)   Wantage Counselling Service, £2,500, towards the cost of providing a counselling service to low-income Vale residents, Social Agenda, Access priority

(ii)  Charney Hall and Field Trust, £10,000, towards the redevelopment of Charney Village Hall, Environmental Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(iii) GroveChurch of England Primary School, £3,000, towards the creation of a sensory garden, Environmental Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(iv) Wantage Summer Festival 2008, £3,500, towards the cost of organising the festival, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority

(c)     Members are asked to note the South East Area Committee’s budget for

         2008/09

(d)     Members are invited to request that the Executive approves the carrying forward        

         of any unspent grant budget from 2007/08 into 2008/09

(e)     Members are asked to determine their principle for awarding grants for

additional parish cleansing in 2008/09 and invited to determine these grants to be paid from the 2008/09 budget

(f)      Members are asked to determine the grant application from Wantage Summer

Festival 2008 from the 2008/09 budget, as the event will begin before the next meeting of this Committee, and to determine the Agenda and Council priority for this application

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

(Councillor Julia Reynolds had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item, in particular the application from the Wantage Summer Festival. In accordance with Standing Order 32, she left the meeting during its consideration.)

The Committee received and considered report 152/07 of the Head of Community Strategy and the Monitoring Officer. 

A statement was made by a member of the public earlier in the meeting to which the Committee had regard when considering the applications.

Each of the applications were considered in detail and the following comments were made:-

 Wantage Counseling Service

The Community Strategy Officer advised the Committee that this grant application was towards half of the resulting deficit attributable to low income clients residing in the Vale.

Members agreed that this was a worthwhile cause and the service was desperately needed in the area.

Charney Hall and Field Trust

It was noted that the Trust had raised £12,000 towards this project. Members considered that this was commendable. The Committee was sympathetic to the plight of villages that were at risk of losing facilities and noted that it was expensive to ensure that village halls complied with health and safety regulations.

Grove Church of England Primary School

One Member commented that this was an exciting project. Another Member advised the Committee that it was important as a showcase for sustainability and would be a useful tool in educating people about climate change. One Member questioned whether the School should be approaching other bodies for funding, such as Sure Start.

Wantage Summer Festival (to be determined out of 2008/09 budget)

The Committee was asked to consider a grant towards the cost of publishing promotional material. Some Members questioned whether the Festival had raised any of its own funds, and felt that this should be encouraged. It was explained that this was an umbrella group for individual arts groups which would be involved in the festival. Several Members considered that it was important, in view of the budget decreasing, that groups were encouraged to raise their own funds, in addition to applying for grants.

Parish Cleansing Grants

The Committee considered the Officer’s report. Officers explained that in the case of West Hendred, if the principle were used the grant would be £115, however only £50 was requested and therefore this was the amount awarded.

Officers further advised that the total cost estimate for Milton at £1060.00 should have been £1148.16 which accounted for the increase in the grant awarded when applying the principle.

RESOLVED

(a)       that it be noted that the Committee’s remaining budget for 2007/08 is £8,635.88.

(b)         that the grant applications are determined as follows:-

To receive and consider Report 156/07 of the Head of Community Strategy and the Monitoring Officer.

Introduction and Report Summary

This report provides information about the responses at the South East Area Forum held on 7th November 2007 and the preparation of the Vale Sustainable Community Strategy.

Recommendations

that members note the information contained in the report

The contact officer for this report is Toby Warren, Head of Community Strategy; Tel: 01235 547695, Email toby.warren@whitehorsedc.gov.uk

The Head of Community Strategy advised the Committee that the Forum had taken place on the 7November and had given the public an opportunity to discuss the Sustainable Community Strategy.

He advised that local concerns had been highlighted which were consistent with other Area Committees.

The Committee was advised that the next Area Forum would take place on 13 May at Civic Hall, Wantage between 7pm and 9pm.

RESOLVED

that the content of the report be noted.