Agenda item

To consider the recommendations of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel with respect to the payment of community grants for 208/19.

RESOLVED:

(a)         That the grant awards as set out in Appendix 1 to Report Item 4 to the Cabinet be approved for inclusion in the 2018 budget;

(b)         That it be confirmed that applications that are resubmitted after the initial consideration by the Community Grants Task and Finish Group will not be considered; and

(c)         That there be a comprehensive review of the community grants process and eligibility criteria in advance of the 2018 grant application process.

Cllr Glass disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as a member of Hythe Sea Scouts.  He concluded that there were no grounds under common law to prevent him from remaining in the meeting to speak and to vote.

Cllr E J Heron disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as a board member of the Forest Forge Theatre Company and also that the Copythorne play area fell within his County Council ward.  He concluded that there were no grounds under common law to prevent him from remaining in the meeting to speak and to vote.

Cllr Rostand disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as a member of Lymington and Pennington Town Council and a trustee of the Lymington Community Association.  She concluded that there were no grounds under common law to prevent her from remaining in the meeting to speak and to vote.

Cllr C Ward disclosed a non-pecuniary interest as a board member of the Forest Forge Theatre Company.  She concluded that there were no grounds under common law to prevent her from remaining in the meeting to speak and to vote.

The Cabinet considered the recommendations of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel in respect of grant payments to be made following assessment of the applications received.  Each application had been considered, in detail, by the Community Grants Task and Finish Group established by the Panel, using the revised criteria adopted by the Council in 2017 (Cabinet minute 56, 1 February 2017 refers).

The Panel recommended the payment of grants totalling £218,020.  A description of each application, the amount requested and the recommended grant was set out in Appendix 1 to Report Item 4 to the Cabinet, and a summary of the proposed payments was set out in paragraph 5.1 of the report.

The Cabinet also noted that the Panel had been requested to consider a revised application in respect of a grant to the Lymington Community Association where it was recommended that no assistance should be given.  The Panel had declined to do so on the grounds that reconsideration, outside of the timeframe for applications, would jeopardise the new grants assessment process which sought to ensure greater transparency and fairness.  The Cabinet concurred with this view.

The Panel also recommended that there should be a comprehensive review of the community grants process and eligibility criteria in advance of the 2018 application deadline, in the light of the increasing number of applications being received and the large sums requested by some organisations.  The Cabinet considered that it was important that community grants were directed towards organisations that were benefitting communities widely across the District.

RESOLVED:

(a)         That the grant awards as set out in Appendix 1 to Report Item 4 to the Cabinet be approved for inclusion in the 2018 budget;

(b)         That it be confirmed that applications that are resubmitted after the initial consideration by the Community Grants Task and Finish Group will not be considered; and

(c)         That there be a comprehensive review of the community grants process and eligibility criteria in advance of the 2018 grant application process.