Agenda and minutes

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Community Grants Panel minutes of the meeting held on 5 January 2017 (attached). 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 5 January 2017 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman signs them as such.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Anna Badcock declared an interest in the application from the Watlington Club as she and her family used the facilities. She stepped down from the panel and took no part in the consideration, scoring and award recommendation for this application.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

There was no urgent business.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

The list showing the members of the public who had registered to speak on the revenue grant applications was tabled at the meeting.

The officers presented their reports detailing the applications from each project, showed videos and/or photos of the projects and gave provisional scores, recommended grants.

The panel heard addresses from representatives of the applicants and were given the opportunity to ask questions of the speakers.

Berinsfield Parish Council – Play area improvements

Corn Exchange Wallingford Limited and Sinodun Players Amateur Dramatic Society – Replacement roof and heating system

John Evans, John Wright and Keith Yapp spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Lewknor Village Hall – Replacement doors

Jean Senior spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Long Wittenham Parish Council – Play area improvements

Catherine Harrison answered questions from the panel.

Little Milton Parish Council – Play area improvements

Barry Coward and Elizabeth Swabey-Collison spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Thame Sports Club – New community building

Karen Woolland and Peter Boziers spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

The Watlington Club – Replacement squash court, flooring, new fire doors and a lawn aerator

Councillor Anna Badcock stepped down from the panel.  Councillor Bill Service was nominated and appointed temporary Chairman for this item and for the scoring and award recommendation for this application.

Dave Parkes spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Hagbourne Village Hall – Village hall play area improvements

Michelle Marriott answered questions from the panel.

Mainstream Day Centre (Benson) – Replacement kitchen

Andrew Brooker spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Benson Parish Council – Play area improvements

Sandford on Thames Village Hall – Storage shed in car park

Ewelme Parish Council – Rebuild Ewelme pavilion

The Parish Council had submitted a written statement in support of the application which was read out by the grants officer.

Wallingford Rowing Club – Replacement boat launching platform

Tim Brock and Roger Turnbull spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Peppard Stoke Row Cricket Club - Replacement cricket roller for Stoke Row

Gerry Bacon spoke in support of the application and answered questions from the panel.

Chinnor Parish Council – Tennis court resurfacing, new floodlighting and mini tennis courts

The panel will review and amend officer scores as necessary.

The panel considered the applications, taking into account the report of the grants officer on each application, the presentations from the registered public speakers and site photographs/videos. 

Using the scoring matrix set out in the policy, the grant officer’s provisional scores and any additional information received at the meeting, the panel awarded scores for each application.

After discussion, the panel adopted the grants officer’s recommended scores for all applications except for the following:

Benson Parish Council – Play area improvements

Reduce the funding score from 11 to 7 in view of the high level of reserves held by the Parish Council.

Sandford on Thames Village Hall – Storage shed in car park

Increase the community benefit score from 7 to 9 in view of the benefit to a large number of community groups.

Wallingford Rowing Club – Replacement boat launching platform

Increase the new facilities or activities score from 8 to 10 in view of the benefit of the non-slip platform to disabled rowers.

Increase the community benefit score from 7 to 9 in view of the potential secondary benefit to the town’s economy and tourism that improvements to the popular rowing club might bring.  The panel also recognised the club’s intention to work with the local school to make rowing more accessible.

Chinnor Parish Council – Tennis court resurfacing, new floodlighting and mini tennis courts

The panel agreed to defer consideration of this application pending the receipt of further information on the membership of the tennis club and the funding of the project, including the anticipated dates for receipt of S106 funding. Officers were requested to work with the applicants to strengthen the bid before it was reconsidered,

Review of revised rankings

The panel reviewed how the amendments to the scores had altered the rankings of the projects prior to confirming these changes.

The final scores as agreed were:

The panel will finalise award recommendations for the consideration of the Cabinet member for grants.

The panel then made recommendations to the Cabinet member for grants as follows:

RESOLVED: to

a)     recommend that the award to Thame Sports Club be capped at £250,000  and that the Cabinet member should not make a decision regarding this award until after the organisation has completed its transfer to a Limited by Guarantee company, has transferred all of its assets to the new organisation and the council’s grant and legal officers are satisfied with the set-up and eligibility of the new organisation.

b)     agree that projects recommended for medium priority awards (15-28 points) should receive 75% of the amount requested.

c)     defer consideration of the application from Chinnor Parish Council pending the receipt of further information on the membership of the tennis club and the funding of the project, including the anticipated dates for receipt of S106 funding.

d)     recommend that the Cabinet member for community safety, legal, democratic services, electoral services and grants make the following capital grant award decisions:

1.     to award Berinsfield Parish Council 50.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £33,992, towards play area improvements, as set out in its application, subject to a condition that work should not commence until the grant agreement is completed and the land title restriction is in place.

2.     to award Corn Exchange Wallingford Limited and Sinodun Players 34.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £170,000, towards a replacement roof and heating system, as set out in its application.

3.     to award Lewknor Village Hall 36.10 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £4,585, towards replacement doors, as set out in its application.

4.     to award Long Wittenham Parish Council 50.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £7,291, towards play area improvements, as set out in its application.

5.     to award Little Milton Parish Council 50.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £50,000, towards play area improvements, as set out in its application, subject to a condition that work should not commence until the grant agreement is completed and the land title restriction is in place..

6.     to award Thame Sports Club 45.12 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £250,000, towards  a new community building, as set out in its application, subject to a condition that the proposed new incorporated organisation is established before the grant is awarded.

7.     to award the Watlington Club 50.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £19,453, towards replacement squash court, flooring, new fire doors and a lawn aerator as set out in its application.

8.     to award Hagbourne Village Hall 32.31 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £10,000, towards village hall play area improvements, as set out in its application.

9.     to award Millstream Day Centre (Benson) 50.00 per cent of their total project cost, capped to £17,950, towards a replacement kitchen, as set out in its application.

10.  to award Benson Parish Council 37.50 per cent of their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.