Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel with respect to the payment of Community Grants.

RECOMMENDED:

(a)         That the criteria for assessing the eligibility of community grants, as set out in Appendix 1 to Report Item 5 considered by the Cabinet, be approved and published on the Council’s website; and

(b)        That the grant wards set out in Appendix 2 to Report Item 5 considered by the Cabinet be approved for inclusion in the Medium Term Financial Plan.

Cllr Penson disclosed a disclosable pecuniary interest as one of the Trustees of Citizens’ Advice.  He took no part in the consideration.  He did not have a vote.

Cllr D E Andrews disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as this Council’s representative on Community First New Forest and Citizens Advice.  She took no part in the consideration.  She did not have a vote.

The Cabinet was advised that the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel had established a task and finish group that had reviewed the process for receiving and evaluating applications for community grants; and had then evaluated the 17 applications that had been received against the criteria they had developed.  Each applicant had been invited to make a presentation to the task and finish group to provide key information to support their case.  The group had made recommendations to the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel on each application.  With respect to Community First, the task and finish group had suggested that this organisation should attend the Panel’s meeting as they had not provided to the group adequate information to justify the full amount of the grant requested.  The Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel had considered the Task and Finish Group’s recommendations, together with a further presentation from Community First, at their meeting held on 17 January 2017.

With respect to support for Citizen’s Advice, the Panel had supported the view that, in future, their funding should be through a formal agreement, separate to the grants process, in light of the significant amount of funding involved.  A task and finish group was being established to progress this.

Members noted that the total proposed expenditure of £459,500 was a not insignificant investment that acknowledged the important role that the voluntary sector played in meeting the needs of diverse groups within the local population.

RECOMMENDED:

(a)         That the criteria for assessing the eligibility of community grants, as set out in Appendix 1 to Report Item 5 considered by the Cabinet, be approved and published on the Council’s website; and

(b)        That the grant awards set out in Appendix 2 to Report Item 5 considered by the Cabinet be approved for inclusion in the Medium Term Financial Plan.