Decision Maker: Leader of the council
Decision status: Recommendations approved
Is Key decision?: Yes
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose: to determine CIF grant applications of over £15,000 for 2013-14
The panel considered the applications for funding from the Community Investment Fund over £15,000 capital awards scheme, taking into account the reports of the Grants Team Leader on each application, the presentations from the registered public speakers, and the visits to each site carried out on 18 and 20 June 2013.
The applications considered were:
Community Investment Fund Grant applications 2013
Applicant |
Project summary |
Estimated project cost £ |
Requested amount £ |
Percentage Requested % |
East Hagbourne Parish Council |
Replacement village pavilion |
364,559 |
100,000 |
27.43 |
Sandford-on-Thames Parish Council |
Community hub and village centre |
506,566 |
100,000 |
19.74 |
Chalgrove Parish Council |
Play area improvements |
139,066 |
80,000 |
57.53 |
Thame Players Theatre Company |
Improvements to staging, seating heating and lighting |
203,210 |
100,000 |
49.21 |
The Friends of Horspath (charity) |
Purchase of Horspath Methodist chapel |
301,080 |
100,000 |
33.21 |
Baldons and Nuneham Community Society |
Extension to dining room community pub (Seven Stars) in Marsh Baldon |
70,600 |
42,000 |
59.49 |
Warborough Parish Council |
Re-roofing Greet Memorial Hall |
50,242 |
25,121 |
50.00 |
Beckley and Stowood Parish Council |
Replacement village hall |
587,531 |
100,000 |
17.02 |
St Mary's Church, Chalgrove |
Internal renovations to church for community use |
418,758 |
83,750 |
20.00 |
Great Milton Recreation Ground |
Improvements to the recreation ground |
83,922 |
50,353 |
60.00 |
St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row |
Extension to provide kitchen and toilet |
145,000 |
58,000 |
40.00 |
Total |
|
2,870,534 |
839,224 |
|
Scores for each application
The panel discussed the Grants Team Leader’s provisional scores for each application under each criterion and amended a number of these.
The panel agreed final scores as follows:
Community Investment Fund Grant applications 2013 |
Community benefit |
Broadening the range |
Meeting a local need |
Community participation |
Project viability |
Finance |
Total |
East Hagbourne Parish Council |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
55 |
10 |
145 |
Sandford-on-Thames Parish Council |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
40 |
15 |
135 |
Chalgrove Parish Council |
15 |
15 |
20 |
20 |
55 |
5 |
130 |
Thame Players Theatre Company |
20 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
50 |
5 |
120 |
The Friends of Horspath (charity) |
20 |
20 |
15 |
15 |
40 |
10 |
120 |
Baldons and Nuneham Community Society |
10 |
15 |
10 |
15 |
60 |
5 |
115 |
Warborough Parish Council |
20 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
50 |
5 |
110 |
Beckley and Stowood Parish Council |
20 |
20 |
15 |
15 |
20 |
15 |
105 |
St Mary's Church, Chalgrove |
15 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
40 |
15 |
100 |
Great Milton Recreation Ground |
15 |
15 |
15 |
5 |
40 |
5 |
95 |
St John the Evangelist Stoke Row |
10 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
20 |
10 |
60 |
Cut off score and recommendation of awards
Cabinet had agreed on 13 February 2012 to make no award to applications scoring 90 points or less and an award of 80 per cent of requested funding to applications scoring between 91 and 119 points when considering the under £15,000 capital grant scheme bids.
The panel considered that while four of the bids scored between 100 and 120 points, these were very good projects which were capable of success if fully supported and would bring a significant benefit to their communities. The panel considered that awarding only 80 per cent of the amount requested would increase the probability that these projects would not be completed because of a shortfall in funding. The panel therefore agreed to fully fund all bids scoring 100 points and above.
The panel decided to award 80 per cent of the requested funding to Great Milton Recreation Ground and 50 per cent of the requested funding to St John the Evangelist Church. The panel considered that these proposals were of sufficient merit to award funding and these awards would enable the projects to progress. However the panel did not have sufficient evidence to persuade them that the community fully supported the proposals put forward, and in the case of St John the Evangelist that there was sufficient demand for the facilities, and so did not wish to commit a larger sum to these.
The panel agreed to recommend imposing conditions on the awards to safeguard the investment of public funds as recommended by the Grants Team Leader.
The panel agreed to recommend that the rest of the allocation to the Community Investment Fund grants scheme be set aside for the award of capital grants of under £15,000.
Resolved:
1. to recommend that the Leader of the Council awards £800,153 of grants with conditions as follows:
East Hagbourne Parish Council – to award 27.43 per cent of the £364,559 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 towards the replacement village pavilion as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· a legal restriction will be placed against the registered title of the property
· the council will have access to the facility for three consecutive days of free sports usage over the school summer holidays
· the new building will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Sandford-on-Thames Parish Council – to award 19.74 per cent of the £506,566 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 towards the extension to the village hall to create a community hub as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· a legal restriction will be placed against the registered title of the property
· the new building will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Chalgrove Parish Council – to award 57.53 per cent of the £139,066 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £80,000 towards the replacement of an existing and provision of an additional play area as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· a legal restriction will be placed against the registered title of the property
· the new play areas will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Thame Players Theatre Company – to award 49.21 per cent of the £203,210 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 towards the improvements to the theatre as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· a legal restriction will be placed against the registered title of the property
· the improved facility will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Friends of Horspath– to award 33.21 per cent of the £301,080 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 towards the purchase of Horspath Methodist Chapel as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· the council will place the first legal charge against the registered title of the property
· the building will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
· the grant will only be available for a period of six months from the date of the grant award
Baldons and Nuneham Community Society – to award 59.49 per cent of the £70,600 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £42,000 towards the improvements to the community pub as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· the council will register a legal charge against the registered title of the property
· the improved facility will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Warborough Parish Council – to award 50.00 per cent of the £50,242 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £25,121 towards the modernisation of the hall as detailed in the application with the following condition:
· the improved facility will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Beckley and Stowood Parish Council – to award 17.02 per cent of the £587,531 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £100,000 towards the replacement village hall as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· a legal restriction will be placed on the registered title of the property
· the council will have access to the facility for three consecutive days of free sports usage over the school summer holidays
· the new building will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
St Mary’s Church, Chalgrove – to award 20.00 per cent of the £418,758 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £83,750 towards the improvements to the Church as detailed in the application with the following condition:
· the improved facility will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
Great Milton Recreation Ground – to award 48.00 per cent of the £83,922 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £40,282[1] towards the replacement play equipment as detailed in the application with the following conditions:
· the new play area will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
· that suitable equipment for disabled children is included in the project, as agreed with the grants officer
St John the Evangelist Church, Stoke Row – to award 20.00 per cent of the £145,000 estimated scheme costs, up to a maximum of £29,000[2] towards the extension to provide a toilet and kitchenette as detailed in the application with the following condition:
· the improved facility will be formally opened by the chairman of the council unless otherwise agreed with the grants officer
2. to recommend that the Leader of the Council allocates £299,847to the under £15,000 capital grant scheme for 2013/14 from the £1,100,000 transferred to the approved capital programme for 2013/14.
Publication date: 25/06/2013
Date of decision: 25/06/2013
Decided at meeting: 25/06/2013 - Community Investment Fund Panel