Issue - meetings

Following a report of the Director of Place, the Community Policy Development Group have made the following recommendations:

1.    The total Strategic Grants budget to remain at £138,500 for a period of 2 years, and that individual awards to Strategic Partners to remain at the 2020-2021 levels for this period.

2.    The level of grant awards to individual partners for 2022-23 and 2023-24 were therefore recommended as:

Following a report of the Director of Place, the Community Policy Development Group was recommending to Cabinet that:

1.    The total Strategic Grants budget to remain at £138,500 for a period of 2 years, and that individual awards to Strategic Partners to remain at the 2020-2021 levels for this period.

2.    The level of grant awards to individual partners for 2022-23 and 2023-24 were therefore recommended as:

The Cabinet Member for Community Well-Being outlined the contents of the report stating that the budget allocation for strategic grants for the 2021/22 financial year was £138,500 and that the funding available for the 2022/23 and subsequent years was dependant on the Council’s budget setting process.  The allocation of grants provided support to external agencies (as set out above) delivering services that advanced the Council’s Homes, Community and Economic priorities.

He detailed the work of the working group that had considered the grants and the findings that had been reported.

Consideration was given to:

·         The good news that levels of grant funding remained the same; and

·         Whether capital grants should be considered

·         In response to the latter point, the meeting was informed that the organisations usually linked into other funding streams for capital funding and that the grants provided by the Local Authority were for revenue expenditure.

RESOLVED that the above recommendation of the Policy Development Group be approved.

(Proposed by Cllr D J Knowles and seconded by Cllr C R Slade)

Reason for the decision – There was a need to agree the grant funding prior to the approval of the budget for 2022/23

Note:  *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.

To receive the final report from the Grants Working Group and make recommendations to the Cabinet on the level of Grant Funding for 2022-2023

The Group had before it a *report from the Director of Place presenting the recommendations from the Community PDG Grants Working Group.

The Economic Development Team Leader outlined the contents of the report and explained that the Working Group had carried out a thorough review and that they had received presentations from all of the Strategic Partners.

Consideration was given to:

·         Members views that although they were satisfied with the recommendation that there was not a mechanism for new organisations to apply for a Grant.

It was therefore RECOMMENDED to the Cabinet that:

1.    The total Strategic Grants budget to remain at £138,500 for a period of 2 years, and that individual awards to Strategic Partners to remain at the 2020-2021 levels for this period.

2.    The level of grant awards to individual partners for 2022-23 and 2023-24 were therefore recommended as:

(Proposed by the Chairman)

Reason for the decision: The allocation of grants provides support to external agencies delivering services that advance the Council’s Homes, Community and Economy priorities.

Notes:

     I.        Cllr L J Cruwys declared a personal interest as he was a Member of the Canal Advisory Committee

    II.        *Report previously circulated and attached to the minutes