(Time: 3.13pm to 4.11pm)
(CouncillorBob Johnston declared a personal interest in this item but in accordance with Standing Order 34, he remained in the meeting during its consideration.)
The Executive received and considered report 190/06 of the Strategic Director and Monitoring Officer, which set out the budget position for community grants and set out details of thirteen grant applications. The Executive gave careful consideration to each application but had less budgetary provision than the total amount applied for by the applicants combined.
Some applications were received seeking grants to meet increased operating costs. The Executive did not have the budget to fund all applications for these costs but urged applicants to instead consider applying for funds towards specific projects.
RESOLVED
(a) that it be noted that the community grants budget for 2007/08 for Vale-wide grants is £23,814;
(b) that the following applications be approved:
Applicant |
Scheme |
Grant |
Oxfordshire My Life My Choice Association |
Running four self-advocacy groups |
£1,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Access priority) |
Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action |
Running a volunteer brokerage service |
£2,500 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Town and Village Vitality priority) |
Root and Branch |
Purchase of a wood lathe to extend the woodworking project |
£400 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Town and Village Vitality priority) |
Oxfordshire Play Association |
Support for after school clubs and holiday play schemes |
£2,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Access priority) |
Oxfordshire Visual Arts Festival Ltd. |
Production of Artweeks Guide |
£1,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Town and Village Vitality priority) |
Oxford Film and Video Makers |
Running the Summerscreen 2007 film and digital media festival |
£1,500 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Town and Village Vitality priority) |
Oxfordshire Chinese Community and Advice Centre |
Increased running costs |
£1,000 (by four votes to three; Social agenda; Access priority) (also see (c) below) |
Abingdon and District Citizen's Advice Bureau |
Increased running costs |
£4,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Access priority) (also see (f) below) |
Oxfordshire Children's Information Service |
Enhancement of services |
£1,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Access priority) |
SunningwellSchool of Art |
Replacement heating system to achieve greater energy efficiencies |
£1,000 (by 7 votes to nil; Environmental agenda; Town and Village Vitality priority) |
Accessible Sailing (The Farmoor Trust Pontoon Project) |
Construction of a pontoon |
£2,500 (by 7 votes to nil; Social agenda; Access priority) (see (g) below) |
(c) that the issue of continued funding for the Oxfordshire Chinese Community and Advice Centre be raised with other local authorities in Oxfordshire to seek a firmer funding arrangement for the future;
(d) that the following applications be deferred pending the receipt of an amended application relating to a specific project (by 7 votes to nil):
Applicant |
Scheme |
Reason |
Neighbourhood Watch |
Towards costs in expanding the service |
Grants will not be given for extra costs of running the service but applications will be considered for projects |
(e) that the application from the Wantage Diving Club be referred to the South East Area Committee for determination unless its is considered that the majority of club members are from outside the South East Area of the Vale, then the application be referred back to the Executive for further consideration in October 2007 (by 7 votes to nil);
(f) that a report be submitted to the October meeting of the Executive to re-examine the large Service Level Agreements between the Council and other bodies;
(g) that the application from Accessible Sailing, operating as the Farmoor Reservoir Pontoon Project, be referred to the Abingdon Area Committee, the South East Area Committee and the West Area Committee for further consideration;
(h) that for future applications, the officers be requested to obtain information on the breakdown of local authority funding for schemes in the previous year;
(i) that the unspent Area Committee community grants budgets be carried forward from 2006/07 to 2007/08;
(j) that that the range of projects, services and events supported by the Executive in 2006/07 be noted.