Agenda item

To receive and consider report 166/06 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer. 

Councillor Jim Moley had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the grant application in respect of the Wantage Summer Festival and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of that part of the report.

The Committee received and considered report 166/06 of the Strategic Director which set out the new process for delegating the determination of grants; set out the budget position for this Committee in respect of Community Grants in 2006/07 and in 2007/08 and invited the Committee to consider and determine the grant applications received since the last meeting and to agree a principle for awarding grants for additional parish cleansing.

The report was considered in detail and the following comments made: -

Grants Determined Under Delegated Authority

It was reported that a grant had been made to the Blewbury Woman’s Institute in the sum of £200 towards a sound amplification system.  Furthermore, a grant had been made to the Wantage Choral Society towards a one-off training choir for the public in the sum of £450, with a condition that Wantage Town Council and other Parish Council’s benefiting be requested to make a contribution.  It was suggested that a total contribution of £100 might be appropriate.

East Challow Parish Council – Safety Surfacing of Play Area

It was explained that the Parish Council would be funding £1,760 plus the shortfall.  It was noted that this third party funding could be as high as £5,000.  One Member asked that it be placed on record that funding should be sought from S106 development obligations towards maintenance of play areas

Lyford Manor Farm - Willow Pollarding

One Member commented that the Council had always supported grant awards for tree pollarding in recognition of the importance of willow trees to the environment and it being noted that without the grant assistance in many cases the works required would not take place resulting in the loss of the trees.  It was noted in this case the trees could be seen from the public footpath.

One Member considered that the Committee should not be awarding a grant to a private individual.  However, other Members supported awarding a grant and considered that 10% of the cost would be reasonable in this case.  It was commented that in making these grants the Council was helping to protect the traditional and beautiful aspects of the landscape which were of public benefit.

Wantage Summer Festival

One Member expressed concern regarding the timing of the application in terms of the need to award any grant from the next year’s budget.  However, the Officers commented that due to the timing of the Festival it would not be possible to consider an application in the next financial year.  It was noted that it was not possible to award a grant from this year’s budget as the Festival had already had a grant award in this financial year.

RESOLVED

(a)        that it be noted that the process for delegating the determination of community grants applications as set out in Appendix A to report 166/06 has been approved by the Executive and that the grant narratives have been amended to reflect this;

(b)        that it be noted that the Committee’s remaining budget for 2006/07 is £9,827.88;

(c)        that the grant applications received be determined as follows: -

 (d)       that it be noted that the South East Area Committee’s budget for 2007/08 is £24,895;

(e)        that the Executive be invited to approve the carrying forward of any unspent grant budget from 2006/07 into 2007/08;

(f)         that the principle for awarding grants for additional parish cleansing in 2007/08 be agreed on the same basis as in 2006/07, namely that grants will be awarded but that the level of grant shall be limited to 40% of the total cost where the total is calculated on an hourly basis of an hourly rate of £6.00 and that parish cleansing grant applications received be determined as follows to be paid from the 2007/08 budget, (proposed by Councillor Terry Cox, seconded by Councillor Elsa Boyce and agreed by 10 votes to nil: -

(g)        that the grant application received be determined as follows to be financed from the 2007/08 budget: -

(h)        that the range of projects, services and events supported by the South East Area Committee in 2006/07 as set out in Appendix D to report 166/06 be noted.