Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence. 

None.

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

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest or of conflict of interest.

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. 

None.

To note that the Council approved the area committee boundaries as set out on the attached map. 

Council also approved the following terms of reference for area committees:

(a)     To promote the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area and incur expenditure for that aim within limits agreed by the Cabinet.

(b)     To receive reports and take decisions on matters delegated to the area committee by Cabinet in line with council policies or by the Council.

(c)     To submit reports on matters of concern to the Council, Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee as appropriate.

(d)     Question members of the Cabinet as required in relation to particular decisions, initiatives or projects relevant to the area committee.

(e)     To determine any other matters delegated to area committees by the Council. 

The committee noted its terms of reference and the revised area committee boundary as set by the Council. 

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

Capital Community Grants

New Homes Bonus

To consider the head of corporate strategy’s report. 

The committee considered the head of corporate strategy’s report on new homes bonus grants and capital grants.  The council had received three applications for new homes bonus grants relating to the Faringdon area, and four applications for capital grants. The totals applied for were well within the budget available. 

New Homes Bonus grant applications

Each new homes bonus grant application had been assessed against the new homes bonus grants criteria and scoring matrix.  The officer’s recommended scores were set out in the report.  The committee assessed the applications against the grants criteria and the officer’s recommended scores, and revised the scores where marked with an asterisk (*) in the table below. 

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The committee noted that those new homes bonus applications scoring a total of 10 or more were in the high priority funding bracket and could be awarded a grant of 100 per cent of the requested amount.  Those applications scoring 9 or less fell in to the medium priority funding bracket and could be awarded a grant of up to 75 per cent of the requested amount.  The committee awarded the new homes bonus grants accordingly. 

Capital grant applications

Each capital grant application had been assessed against the capital grants criteria and scoring matrix.  The officer’s recommended scores were set out in the report.  The committee assessed the applications against the grants criteria and the officer’s recommended scores, and revised the scores where marked with an asterisk (*) in the table below:

The committee noted that those capital applications scoring a total of 9 or more were in the high priority funding bracket and could be awarded a grant of 100 per cent of the requested amount.  The committee awarded capital grants accordingly. 

Further grant applications in 2015/16

The committee noted that the last opportunity for organisations to submit grant applications in the current financial year had now passed.  As there had been only one application for the Faringdon area, the committee agreed that these could be determined under delegated authority rather than holding a further committee meeting. 

Grants policy and procedure

The committee was asked for its views on the current grant policies and procedures.  The committee thanked the officers for their work in improving the grants system and were broadly content with the new scheme.

RESOLVED: to

(a)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.