Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED

thatCouncillorJim Moley be elected as Chair of the Committee for the 2007/08 Municipal Year. 

RESOLVED

thatCouncillor Joyce Hutchinson be elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee for the 2007/08 Municipal Year. 

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Anthony Hayward.  

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 2007, (previously circulated with the Council Summons dated 16 May 2007). 

The minutes of the Committee meeting held on 13 March 2007 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. 

In accordance with Part 2 of the Local Code of Conduct and the provisions of Standing Order 34, any Member with a personal interest must disclose the existence and nature of that interest to the meeting prior to the matter being debated.  Where that personal interest is also a prejudicial interest, then the Member must withdraw from the room in which the meeting is being held and not seek improperly to influence any decision about the matter unless he/she has obtained a dispensation from the Standards Committee.

Councillors Terry Fraser and Jenny Hannaby both declared personal and prejudicial interests in item 10 'Community Grants' in relation to the application from the Wantage War Memorial Committee (minute SE.10 refers).  Councillors Jenny Hannaby, Joyce Hutchinson, Jim Moley and Julia Reynolds all declared personal interests in the service level agreement grant application by the Wantage, Grove and District Twinning Association.  CouncillorTerry Fraser declared a personal interest in the service level agreement grant application by the Hendreds Twinning Group.  Toby Warren also declared an interest in the application from the Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon project in that he knew one of its representatives, Liz sale, in her capacity as Vice-Chair of the Vale Partnership. 

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.

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

Bill Proctor made a statement on behalf of the Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon Project in support of its grant application.  The project had started in 2002 with the aim of helping disabled people to try sailing.  A pontoon was designed with wheelchair accessible ramps and anchored hoists to allow easy access for disabled people.  The pontoon had also allowed other uses too.  The area of the reservoir within the pontoon also allowed a safer area for children.  The pontoon itself also allowed bird watchers to get closer to the birds.  The total cost had been estimated at £200,000 but the project would be carried out in phases.  An electric lift had been installed which helped lower wheelchair users into boats when the water level was low.  The majority of the structure could be built without the lift and would cost £120,000.  £107,000 had been raised so far.  It was hoped that work would start later in the autumn and the pontoon would be operational by the spring 2008.  A fund raising initiative had been introduced allowing people to sponsor a plank of wood for the pontoon's decking.  This would cost £200 per plank but would allow the sponsor to have the plank engraved. 

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

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To receive a briefing on the grants criteria. 

The Head of Community Strategy reported on the various elements of the Council's Community Grants criteria.  Tabled at the meeting were copies of the updated criteria which Members could take away but they were asked to return them before the next meeting to allow updating.  Members noted the grants criteria. 

To receive and consider report 47/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer. 

Introduction and Report Summary

The purpose of this report is to set out the budget position at the beginning of 2007/08 for this Committee in respect of Community Grants and to invite Members to consider and determine the grant applications received.

The contact officer for this report is Lorna Edwards, Community Strategy Officer (Tel: 01235 547626), e-mail: lorna.edwards@whitehorsedc.co.uk

Recommendations

(a)               that Members note the budget position for the South East Area Committee at the beginning of the financial year

(b)               that Members agree in principal to the payment of the Service Level Agreement grant to the Wantage, Grove & District Twinning Association and the Hendreds Twinning Group, subject to the required monitoring information having been received

(c)               that Members consider and determine the grant applications, the agenda and the Council priority in respect of the following: 

(i)         Wantage Diving Club, £1,500, towards replacement diving equipment, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority 

(ii)        East Hendred Community Centre, £2,250, towards the cost of replacing window panels and fire exits, Environmental Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority 

(iii)       Wantage War Memorial Committee, £1,000, towards the refurbishment of the war memorial, Environmental Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority 

(iv)       Milton Community Centre, £1,500, towards updating curtains and soft furnishings, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority 

(iv)       The Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon Project, £7,000, towards the construction of a pontoon for sailors with disabilities, Social Agenda, Access priority 

(Councillors Terry Fraser and Jenny Hannaby both declared personal and prejudicial interests in relation to the application from the Wantage War Memorial Committee and in accordance with Standing Order 34 they left the meeting during its consideration.  Councillors Terry Fraser, Jenny Hannaby, Joyce Hutchinson, Jim Moley and Julia Reynolds all declared personal interests in other applications and in accordance with Standing Order 34, they remained in the meeting during their consideration.  Toby Warren also declared an interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 35 he remained in the meeting during its consideration.) 

The Committee received and considered report 47/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer.  The report set out the Committee's grants budget position for 2007/08 and set out the details of five grant applications as well as two twinning partnership grant applications. 

The Committee carefully considered each application.  In several cases, Members took the view that a reasonable grant contribution should also be made by the relevant town or parish council and that this should be a condition of the grant.  In each of these cases, authority to approve the grant was delegated. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that the South East Area Committee's remaining community grants budget for 2007/08 of £20,414.88 be noted;

(b)       that the payment of the following twinning partnership grants as part of service level agreements be agreed in principle, subject to the receipt of the required monitoring information:

(c)        that the following grants be approved:

(d)       that authority be delegated to the Head of Community Strategy, in consultation with the Committee Chair, to approve the following applications:

To receive and consider report 37/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer. 

Introduction & Report Summary

Following the publication of the white paper on the future of local government (‘Strong & Prosperous Communities’) in the autumn of 2007 the Vale Partnership Board (which is made up of the District Council and key agencies which influence quality of life in the Vale) has commenced a review of the Vale Community Strategy 2004-2008. The Oxfordshire Partnership has also commenced a review of the Oxfordshire Community Strategy, in preparation for negotiations with central government on the priorities and targets in the next Oxfordshire Local Area Agreement.

This report provides further information on the reviews of the Vale Community Strategy and the Oxfordshire Community Strategy and provides an opportunity for members to provide information in respect of the social issues and priorities for the West of the Vale.

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

Recommendations

(a)       Members are requested to note the information contained in this report;

(b)       Members are invited to comment on the strategic matrix (which is the background paper for this report) in respect of the social issues and priorities for the South East of the Vale. 

The Committee received and considered report 37/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer.  The report set out progress made on the review of the Vale Community Strategy and the Oxfordshire Community Strategy and provided an opportunity for Members to influence the social issues and priorities for the South East area of the District.  These would be linked to the Core Strategy of the emerging Local Development Framework, the replacement for the Local Plan.  This was welcomed by the Committee. 

Members considered the strategic matrix appended to the report and made the following suggested amendments:

• Reference should be made to the need for proper sustainability testing of major infrastructure projects such as Thames Water's proposed reservoir and the need for other improvements to the road network
• Reference should be made to the County Council's new Health and Wellbeing Board in the list of partners/consultees on health and wellbeing aspects
• Reference should be made to drug and alcohol abuse
• The NHS Vale of White Horse Health Profile data source should be used
• Schools should be included as partners under health and wellbeing
• A principle partner/consultee under the heading of mental health should be the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Care Trust
• There needed to be more thought about the facility needs of the elderly when drafting Section 106 planning agreements with developers and the needs of the elderly in rural areas
• Children living in rural areas away from their school should have equal opportunity to take part in extra curricula activities and work experience also
• Young people should be encouraged to take part in voluntary work
• On flooding issues, add the County Council's Highway Drainage Team as a partner and the Highways Agency in respect of some trunk roads (A34)
• Eco-friendly homes and reduced water consumption in homes should be included
• Encouraging businesses to recycle and use less packaging should be included also

It was also suggested that the Vale Partnership Board should include industry representation from the Wantage and Grove area.  However, it was recognised that it was up to the Board to set its membership.  Therefore, it was agreed that this should be suggested to the Board. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that report 37/07 be noted;

(b)       that the suggested changes to the strategic matrix, as set out above, be taken into consideration for the revised document before consultation takes place on this as part of the Local Development Framework's Issues and Options Report in the autumn; and

(c)        that it be suggested to the Vale Partnership Board that it considers representation from industry in the Wantage and Grove area.  

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