To receive a report from the Grants and Funding Officer seeking Member approval for the level of grant awards to external organisations for 2016/17.
Minutes:
The Group had before it a report * from the Grants and Funding Officer seeking Member approval for the level of grant awards to external organisations for 2016/17.
The Head of Communities and Governance outlined the contents of the report, explaining that the authority had paid grants for a number of years and that in 2011 there had been 25 organisations that received grants totalling £250K. In 2012/13 a fundamental review of the grants process was undertaken and this prioritised the recipients into three groups, high priority, medium priority and low priority. Those of low priority received a tapered reduction in their grants to the end of 2014/15. At this time Members also agreed to allocate £32K to a seed fund so that organisations could put in bids for projects. Since then the Authority had worked with organisations to help them become more self-sufficient. The Grants and Funding Officer had brought in a considerable level of funding to the District over the last few years.
Last year a reduction of £20k was made to the grant budget and remaining funds in the Seed Fund were allocated.
In accordance with the process previously agreed by the Group organisations were asked to submit annual accounts, which formed appendix 4 of the report, along with an impact assessment. Each organisation had been/were being given the opportunity to come along to a meeting of the Group to explain what they did and how the grant was spent.
The Officer went on to remind the Group that it was a reality that cuts had to be made and that it was not possible to fund community grants at the same level as in the past. A balanced budget had to be set by the authority and grants were discretionary and not a statutory service.
Referring to appendix 1 of the report the Officer worked through the list of recommended grant allocations for 2016/17, highlighting the following areas:
· Records submitted indicated that the Blackdown Support Group showed a profit and healthy reserve;
· The Citizens Advice Bureau had dealt with a lower number of queries in the last year than in previous years and the council itself was providing advice from Moneywise;
· Detailed financial information provided by the Crediton Arts Centre showed a healthy turnover, a profit of £40k and a healthy reserve;
· Sunnymead Community Association generated a substantial income and had healthy reserves;
· Grants payable to the Tiverton Museum and Tourist Information Service had been set for a three year period and were now in their final year of protection.
Discussion took place regarding:
· The overall budget for both discretionary and statutory services;
· The need to look at income and reserves within financial information provided by the organisations;
· The percentage of cuts to some organisations being higher than others;
· The need to maintain a presence in Crediton;
· The need to make savings in order to set a balanced budget;
· £100k that had been pledged towards the repair of the canal breach;
· The need for robust impact assessments;
· The previous ‘unofficial’ partnership with Devon County Council regarding the canal;
· The possibility of future partnership working regarding the canal.
It was RESOLVED that
1) A meeting based on a partnership approach be set up between Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council, to discuss the ways in which a settlement could be agreed that kept the canal viable, and that the whereabouts of the £100k that was pledged to the breach be investigated.
(Proposed by Cllr N A Way and seconded by Cllr Mrs J D Binks)
2) A working group be put in place to review the grants report, in particular appendix 5 and that the group membership comprise of Cllrs Mrs E J Slade, N A Way, Mrs B M Hull, Mrs R Berry and that Cllr R Radford be co-opted to the group as a County Councillor.
(Proposed by Cllr Mrs J B Binks and seconded by Councillor Mrs R Berry)
Note:- i) Report * previously circulated and attached to Minutes.
ii) Councillors R F Radford and N A Way declared a personal interest as Devon County Councillors.
iii) Councillor Mrs J D Binks declared a personal interest as she was on the Panel of the Citizens Advice Bureau.
iv) Councillor Mrs E J Slade declared a personal interest as she was a committee member at the Tiverton Museum.
vi) Councillor C R Slade declared a personal interest as a member of the Grand Western Canal Joint Advisory Committee.
Supporting documents: