Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any disclosable pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in any item on the agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the body in question.  Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

No members of the public were present.

To consider amendments to the Policy for the Allocation of Community Grants for 2017/18.

That approval be given to adopt the amended Policy for the Allocation of Community Grants for the financial year of 2017/18.

The Policy for the Allocation of Grants to Voluntary and Community Organisations 2017/18 deals with the allocation of community grants which are awarded to defined Organisations following an application process and against set criteria.  There are conditions requiring that Organisations report back to the Council upon expenditure of the grant and to enable further appropriate conditions to be imposed.  The decision making process had previously been delegated to the Portfolio Holder in order to ensure that decisions could be made expeditiously and at the appropriate level.

It was reported that the majority of the changes were minor; the main one related to the removal of the Community-led Planning Grants category as no applications had been made to it since 2014/15 when there was only one. 

Adoption of the revised Policy would enable the continuation of the scheme in the 2017/18 financial year.

RESOLVED

That approval be given to adopt the amended Policy for the Allocation of Community Grants for the financial year of 2017/18.

To consider the allocation of community grants in the first around for 2017/18.

That the community grants be awarded, declined or deferred as indicated in the list attached at the end of this decision notice. 

The Portfolio Holder was asked to determine the award of Community Grants to Voluntary and Community Organisations which met the criteria approved by Cheshire East Council. The Council recognised the valuable input that the Voluntary and Community Sector brings to the quality of life in the community and grants were awarded to those organisations which met the Council’s Residents First Outcomes.

It was reported that this was the first round of grants for 2017/18 and recommendations totalling £37,031 were being made in line with Cheshire East Council’s Policy for the Allocation of Community Grants.  The applications were being considered following the approval of the Policy for the Allocation of Community Grants dated April 2017 and it was noted that the changes to the Policy had made no difference to the outcomes of the grant applications.

In all 28 grants were recommended to be awarded, contributing to £249,566 of project costs; the reasons for the decisions are listed in full in the report. 

RESOLVED

That approval be given for the community grants to be awarded, declined or deferred as follows: