Cabinet considered the interim head of corporate services’ report, which sought approval of a revised councillor community grants scheme. This introduced a ward-based approach to funding projects that met the needs of the council and organisations seeking funding, along with addressing issues encountered previously.
Following a review of the scheme, the Cabinet member reported that the revised policy included several improvements:
· moving to a ward-based approach for determining applications for funding where applicants would submit a single application for the relevant ward councillors to consider
· opening the scheme from June to February to avoid local elections
· running two rounds of funding instead of one, to support easier and earlier decision making
· allowing town and parish councils to apply for funding on behalf of un-constituted groups
· allowing not for profit pre-schools and parent teacher associations for local authority run schools or academies to apply for non-statutory elements of the education programme
· allowing applications for one-off salary costs for pilot projects
· introducing a minimum threshold of £150 above which the council would request any unspent funding back
· other changes to provide more clarity on the process or eligibility
Cabinet welcomed the changes to the scheme but asked for one amendment. Cabinet asked that the third bullet point in the basic rules of the scheme should be amended to read: ‘For wards with multiple councillors, applications may be considered by all ward members together to determine funding’.
Cabinet noted that the operation of the scheme would be kept under review.
RESOLVED: to approve the revised policy for adopting a ward-based approach for awarding councillor grants, as attached at appendix one to the interim head of corporate services’ report to Cabinet on 10 June 2021, subject to the third bullet point in appendix one being amended to read ‘for wards with multiple councillors, applications may be considered by all ward members together to determine funding’.