Decision details

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet:-

a)     Approves the Rural England Prosperity Fund Community Grant awards, totalling £216,164, as set out in Appendix 2 of the Cabinet report;

b)     Delegates to the Strategic Director of Place, Operations and Sustainability, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, any future request to Defra to alter the 60/40 split between funds to support businesses and those supporting community infrastructure to ensure full take up of our available Rural Fund allocation; and

c)     Delegates to the Strategic Director of Place, Operations and Sustainability, in  consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy decisions on how any further Rural Fund resources are allocated in the event that additional funds are made available via resolution b) above, or in the event that the projects set out in Appendix 2 of the Cabinet report are underspent or do not progress.

KEY DECISION:

Yes

PORTFOLIO:

Planning and Economy

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED/REJECTED:

As set out in report.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST:

None

DISCUSSION:

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy reported he was delighted to support the report.  The application process had been made as simple as possible for organisation to apply, with three different pots of funding being available.  He expressed his thanks to the officers involved in the process.

The Strategic Regeneration Advisor reported there were a number of funding routes for community projects, namely; the Rural England Prosperity Fund, Community Grants and Community Infrastructure Levy.  The report for Cabinet dealt with only the rural fund for the award of £216,164.  The funding was different to the other grant funds as there was a geographical restriction to rural areas only, defined by Defra and that the projects needed to be delivered by 31 March 2025.

The projects had been appraised and scored.  Nine were recommended for approval.  The other projects, not recommended for approval within the Cabinet paper would be passed on to other funding routes.

Executive Management Team, Place and Sustainability Overview and Scrutiny Panel and relevant Portfolio Holder