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 relating 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 the detailed assessment of applications made under the Transport Accessibility Grant Scheme, the Vehicle Allocation Scheme, and the Local Sustainable Transport Fund Business Grant Scheme.

1.    That approval be given to the recommendations listed below regarding the outcome of each small grant application (up to £9,999) through the Transport & Accessibility Grant Scheme. The total value of the applications recommended for award is £80,408.

Ref No            Organisation                                                    Recommendation

TAG 1             Community Transport, Macclesfield District Defer - £9,999

TAG 2             Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership    Award £2,439

TAG 3             North Staffs Community Rail Partnership      Award £1,624

TAG 6             rewe Christian Concern                                  Award £9,999

TAG 7             Audlem & District Community Action             Award £6,000

TAG 8             Goodwill Village Hall Association / CHALC    Not Award

TAG 9             Congleton Disabled Access Group                Award £9,999

TAG 11           Wishing Well Project                                       Award £8,350

TAG 16           Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership    Award £3,000

TAG 17           Disability Information Bureau (Macclesfield)             Not Award

TAG 18           Congleton Partnership                                    Award £9,999

TAG 20           Great Places Housing Association                 Not Award

TAG 21           Peaks and Plains Housing Trust                     Award £9,999

TAG 23           Odd Rode Parish Council                               Award £9,999

TAG 24           Open Hands, Poynton                                    Award £3,000

TAG 15           Disley Parish Council                                      Award £6,000

2.    That approval be given to the recommendations listed below regarding the short listing of expressions of interest for a large grant (over £10,000) through the Transport & Accessibility Grant Scheme, and that the applicants be invited to proceed to submission.  In addition that Cheshire Community Action be invited to accept instead the immediate award of a small grant (up to £9999) for which the information currently provided will suffice and no further submission of a Business Plan need be made.  The total value of the applications recommended for short listing is £81,586.

Ref No                      Organisation                                       Recommendation

TAG 25           Poynton Town Council                       Shortlist £18,000*

TAG 26           Poynton Town Council                       Shortlist £22,500*

TAG 13           Poynton Town Council                       Shortlist £30,000*

TAG 19           Cheshire Community Action              Shortlist £11,086*

TAG 22           Community Transport, Halifax           Not Shortlist

* Note that the final award value depends on Business Plan submission so the figures above are indicative at this stage.

3.    That approval be given to the recommendations listed below regarding the allocation/offer of 9 surplus Council vehicles to community and voluntary organisations.

Ref No            Organisation                                                             Recommendation

TAG 4             Rainow Parish Plan Implementation Group   Offer Vehicle

TAG 5             Crewe YMCA                                                 Offer Vehicle

TAG 10           Congleton Disabled Access Group                Decline

TAG 12           Macclesfield Town Community Sports Trust Offer Vehicle

TAG 15           Disley Parish Council                                      Offer Vehicle

TAG13                        Poynton Town Council                                   Offer Vehicle

TAG 14           Calveley & Acton Primary Schools                Offer Vehicle

TAG 29           Congleton Partnership                                    Offer Vehicle

TAG 22           Community Transport, Halifax                       Decline

TAG 28           Odd Rode Parish Council                               Offer Vehicle

TAG 27           Central Cheshire Buddy Scheme                   Offer Vehicle

4.    That approval be given to the recommendations listed below regarding the outcome of each application for an LSTF Business Travel Planning Grant. The total value of the applications recommended for award is £38,810.

Ref No            Organisation                                                             Recommendation

LSTF 1            Cheshire Bespoke Ltd                                    Award £4,999

LSTF 2            Christian Concern                                           Award £3,925

LSTF 3            Leighton Hospital                                            Award £4,999

LSTF 4            Manchester Metropolitan University (1)         Award £4,999

LSTF 5            Manchester Metropolitan University  ...  view the full decision text for item 22.

Consideration was given to the allocation of funding and vehicles in line with the associated Council policies, and to the approval of expressions of interest for large grants.  It was reported that the organisations concerned had applied for assistance from the various schemes and a detailed assessment of each application had then been undertaken in order to assess it against the relevant criteria. 

It was noted that the aim of the Transport & Accessibility Grant Scheme, and of the Vehicle Allocation Scheme, was to support community-led activities in the provision of improved access to essential services such as healthcare, shopping, leisure and other destinations important to local residents. It was reported that the applications recommended for award/shortlist best met the criteria in improving access to services, particularly for disadvantaged groups, with a high level of community involvement and proposals to sustain the project into future.

In October 2013 Cabinet had agreed the allocation of £250,000 for the Transport and Accessibility Grant Scheme from the approved 2013/14 base budget. The grant scheme operated two tiers of funding namely small grants up to £9,999 and larger grants of over £10,000.   The value of the expressions of interest for large grants would be dependent on the subsequent submission of detailed Business Cases/Plans which were due to be submitted by 17 February 2014.  At that same time the Cabinet had also agreed to allocate 9 Council-owned vehicles which were surplus to requirements to community and voluntary organisations.  The vehicles varied in age from 9 to 4 years old and the policy made it clear that the vehicles would be gifted in the condition as of the date of transfer. These donations would facilitate the development of community-led transport initiatives tailored to local needs. It was reported that the Council had received 11 applications and, following assessment, all 9 vehicles had been allocated; ten applications had been made to the LSTF Business Travel Planning Grant Scheme and of these it was recommended that nine were awarded. 

The Portfolio Holder requested confirmation of the reasons why some of the applications had been deferred, declined or not awarded.  It was noted that in the cases of deferral there was no reason why the application could not be resubmitted for further consideration at such time as the outstanding information requested could be provided.  In addition particular reference was made to the following applications:

TAG 19 Cheshire Community Action – to be asked if it would be prepared to accept a small grant of under £9999 as this could be awarded immediately rather than proceding to the next stage of its application for a larger grant of £11,086 which would necessitate a Business Plan submission.

TAG 13, 25 & 26 Poynton Town Council – as part of the detailed Business Plan to be submitted as stage 2 of the large grant application process, the Town Council was to be asked to provide as much information as possible on the involvement of, and the effect of, the application on the various other  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.