Agenda item

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)          award new homes bonus grants as follows:

(b)          award capital grants as follows:

(c)          authorise the head of corporate strategy, following consultation with the committee chairman, to determine grant applications received during the last round (Root & Branch for up to a maximum of £8966) and to cancel the committee meeting scheduled for 8 March 2016.