Agenda item

Grants Advisory Committee noted the intention to include the biodiversity grants as a £10,000 ringfenced fund, within the Community Chest Criteria to support biodiversity projects. It was remarked that Parish Councils would be eligible to apply for this fund as long as they were not already in receipt of a Zero Carbon Communities Grant in the same year.

It was remarked that if the Committee agreed to recommend the changes to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, that the funding limit for community chest grants would be raised from £1,000 to £2,000.

It was explained that in the creation of a Community-Led Plan an entire village or community would be surveyed and the place in question could then determine the focus of the resulting projects. Grants Advisory Committee noted that the revenue costs associated with the creation of the Community-Led Plans would be funded from ring-fenced post-covid funds within the Community Chest but that any projects stemming from the creation of these plans would not be eligible for this funding. Any such resulting projects would, however, be eligible to apply for community chest funding in the normal way (i.e. for capital purchases).

It was remarked by the Committee that officers should include tangible examples as part of the pitch on Community-Led Plans to communities and Parish Councils and officers explained how they have started to do this through their quarterly events (the first of which showcased Whaddon Community-Led Plan).

The Committee noted that a Community-Led Plan toolkit was available on the SCDC website and that workshops had been held to assist community groups and parish councils.

It was agreed that relevant links to this toolkit would be provided through guidance notes to take them to the necessary documentation.

Members remarked that the title of ‘Community-Led Plans’ may cause confusion over the function that is provides versus Neighbourhood Plans and Village Design Guides and officers noted the importance for the Council to distinguish between these pieces of documentation.

The Committee were invited to provide feedback on the toolkit that officers had put together to assist groups with their Community-Led Plans.

Grants Advisory Committee recommended to the Lead Member for Finance:

1.    To include biodiversity grants (formerly Wildlife Enhancement grants) as a £10,000 ringfenced fund within the CCG grants criteria.  This would bring the fund in line with the Community Chest Grants (CCG), provide a transparent application process and could result in more than the original £10,000 being allocated towards biodiversity.

2.    To include a one-off allocation of £50,000 from existing and available Council post-Covid funding into the CCG for Community Led Plans work and distribute in accordance with the CCG criteria. This sum would be allocated from adoption of the changes until the end of the current Community-Led Plan project - October 2023.

3.    To increase the upper CCG grant limit of £1,000 to £2,000 to allow community groups and, where appropriate, parish councils to request a larger contribution to their projects. The cost of materials and equipment is increasing across the board and since most CCG applications are for the maximum award of £1,000 towards a greater project cost.  CCG funding is historically this fund is underspent. By increasing the maximum award to £2,000 it is more likely that remaining funds will be spent by the year end and a full allocation can be made in future years.

4.    To amend CCG criteria to include Community Interest Companies as eligible for CCG funding, as this was not stated explicitly in the criteria.