Agenda item

To receive and consider report 46/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer (attached).

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 address lorna.edwards@whitehorsedc.co.uk.

Recommendations

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

(b)        that Members agree in principle to the payment of the SLA grant to Abingdon Town Council and the Drayton Twinning Society 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) Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society, £500, towards an exhibition about the history of Ock Street, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority;

(ii) Appleford Parish Council & Village Hall Committee, £6,000, towards the refurbishment and extension of the village hall, Social Agenda, Town & Village Vitality priority;

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

The Committee received and considered report 46/07 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer which set out the budget position at the beginning of 2007/08 for this Committee in respect of Community Grants and invited Members to consider and determine the grant applications received.

The Committee discussed the report as follows: -

(1)       Twinning Partnership Grant – Abingdon Town Council

(Councillors Jim Halliday, Angela Lawrence, Pat Lonergan and Alison Rooke had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 they withdrew from the meeting during its consideration).

In response to a question raised the Officers advised that the required monitoring information was awaited.  One Member requested sight of this information commenting that it was essential to know how funding had been spent last year.  She further questioned the award of grants in view of the different twinning arrangements.  The Head of Community Strategy commented that the agreement would need to be reviewed, with a report thereon to the Executive and that grant awards could only be made subject to the fund available.

It was further commented that the Council should be consistent in terms of grant awards to the Town Council and the Twin Towns Society.

Members had some reservations in awarding a grant without the benefit of viewing the required monitoring information.  It was therefore considered that the Chair of the Committee and the Council’s representative on the Abingdon and District Twin Towns Society should view this information prior to the grant being awarded.

(2)       Twinning Partnership Grant – Drayton Parish Council

(Councillor Richard Webber had declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he withdrew from the meeting during its consideration).

Councillor Alison Rooke the Vice-Chair took the Chair for this item.

            Members supported the application.

(3)       Grant Application - Abingdon Area Archaeological and Historical Society

(Councillors Jim Halliday, Angela Lawrence, Pat Lonergan and Alison Rooke had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 they remained in the meeting during its consideration).

The Committee was advised that the Abingdon Joint Environmental Trust had offered a grant of £250 towards the exhibition.

In response to a question raised, the Committee was advised that the application was for cases to enable artefacts to be displayed.

Reference was made to the detail in the application and it was commented that applicants should be encouraged to include sufficient information in their applications for grant assistance.

(4)       Grant Application - Appleford Parish Council & Village Hall Committee

(Councillor Gervase Duffield had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he remained in the meeting during its consideration).

The Committee was advised that further works had been identified in the sum of £4,000 and that the project had now been split into two phases.

Members supported the application noting that there would be facilities which would be available to the wider community, including sports facilities.  The Committee commended the applicant in the level of funds raised to date and agreed that a grant award should be made.

(5)       Grant Application - The Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon Project

(Councillor Pat Lonergan had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 34 he remained in the meeting during its consideration).

(Toby Warren had declared a personal interest in this item and in accordance with Standing Order 35 he remained in the meeting during its consideration).

Further to the report, Members were advised that the West Area Committee at its meeting held on 17 July 2007 had awarded £1,000 towards the Project.

RESOLVED

(a)       that the budget position for the Abingdon Area Committee at the beginning of the financial year be noted;

(b)       that the payment of the SLA grant to Abingdon Town Council and the Drayton Twinning Society subject be agreed in principle as follows: -

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