Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - South Cambs Hall. View directions

Contact: 01954 713000 Email: Democratic.Services@scambs.gov.uk 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

There were apologies from Councillor Judith Rippeth with Councillor Sunita Hansraj as a substitute.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Councillor Sue Ellington recorded they had had conversations with and worked with people who run Sheddit! and those around Swavesey.

 

Councillor Jose Hales declared an interest in the Shared Services, Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme, funded by the council.

3.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 143 KB

To authorise the Chair to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 24th June 2022 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Committee authorised the Chair to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2022.

4.

Zero Carbon Communities pdf icon PDF 175 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Climate and Environment Project Officer introduced the scheme, explaining they provide funds to Parish Councils and Community groups to organise projects which help reduce carbon emissions and engage communities on climate change.

 

The report was for members to present officer recommendations on the allocations of grants funding applied to 2022 – 2023 round of grants for the committee to recommend to the Lead Cabinet Member.

 

It was noted that £120,554 was available for the 2022 – 2023 round which included the underspend of £20,554 from the previous year. Applications were accepted on the basis of two separate categories,, Carbon Emission Reduction / Locking up Carbon and Community Engagement on Climate Change.

 

It was advised the advisory committee of February 2022 agreed to split the funds, with 70% to Carbon Emission Reduction / Locking up Carbon and 30% to Community Engagement on Climate Change, with, members  invited to consider adjusting the split.

 

The Committee were reminded that applications for 2022-2023 were open between 21 March 2022 and 17 June 2022 and received 22 applications.

with grants requested could be between £1500 and 15,000 per project and the total funding applied of the current year amounted to £190,330 exceeding previous years.

 

Applications were assessed and scored by two officer panels using a methodology set out in Appendix C, scores were collated and set out in appendix A.

 

The Grants Advisory Committee were reminded of the meeting in February 2022, where the Committee recommended £15,000 to be set aside for a community climate leader training programme which was applied, receiving highest scores in the community engagement category, shown in Appendix A, Table 2, Cambridge Carbon Project.

 

There were eleven applications from ten organisations totalling to £104,126 as seen in Appendix A and the scoring was across three criteria, with 33% allocated to each, projected Carbon Emission Reduction, Additional Value and Lifetime Impact, as set out in Appendix A. Out of the eleven applications, seven were to be funded, leaving the following four unfunded:

 

·         Hope against poverty, requested £4700. A Cambourne based project that collected food from supermarkets and outlets, although scored well in Added Value and Lifetime Impact, they scored less on Carbon Reduction.

·         Cambridgeshire’s Citizens Advice Bureau, requested £15,000 to fund 42 solar panels for their building with 25% percent of their customers being South Cambridgeshire residents this enabled them eligible for funding. Although panels would result in quantifiable savings, the application did not show any previous actions on reducing emissions.

·         Landbeach Village Hall Charitable, requested £14,035 for a solar PV array which although showed good measurable carbon savings, there was no match offered and no independent report provided. The application scored lower in Additional Value.

·         Milton Community Centre Recreation Ground applied for two grants, an interior and exterior lighting system, totalling to £6,847 and a battery storage system totalling to £13,296. The latter scored higher resulting in the interior and exterior lighting application of £6,847 to go unfunded.

 

The second category contained ten applications totalling to £86,204.

 

The Committee were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Service Support Grant pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was stated the new cycle ran from April 2023 – March 2026, noting there were three key areas of total funding within the scheme.

 

The Grants Advisory Committee were invited to review report and appendices and make recommendations, and noting the total funding was £151,610.

 

The Committee were reminded there had been no change in the amount in previous years but due to inflation, it was to rise to £167,400 and consultations with Members of the committee had resulted in reviewing themes, noting there would be a total of six compared to the previous of eight which would incorporate Arts, Culture and Heritage, Planning and Eco Development and Mental Health and Wellbeing.

 

The committee were also reminded of the refined criteria and guidance notes, which included what was acceptable, with amended themes and new proposed funding amounts which would require an agreement from Lead Cabinet Member for Resources. It was clarified that housing and home on point 9 on the table sits separately within its own service budget.

 

The Committee noted Appendix A held key changes, including Mental Health and Wellbeing with a strong focus on acknowledging and requesting applicants for Children and Young People organisations, with the Children and Young Person project grant being a one off and recommended to continue.

 

The Independent living criteria would include community transport component to reduce isolation and self-sufficient living.

 

It was noted time scales were from March 2023 and the bidding round would ideally begin from September 2022.

 

It was emphasised on section 3 Appendix A, themes were highlighted under activities supported and when grants were applied for, the percentages would be incorporated into the scoring matrix.

 

The Committee advised the Lead Cabinet Member to agree with Option 1.

6.

Community Chest: Funding Applications pdf icon PDF 247 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee considered new applications received between 7 June 2022 and 11 July 2022 for grant aid from the Community Chest Grant funding scheme.

 

It was noted that the application from Girton Cottontails Preschool (LZVNDTGF) requesting £1,700 was deferred at the June Grants Advisory Committee. Additional information to support the application was still pending and would be deferred until the August Grants Advisory Committee.

 

The application from Great and Little Eversden Allotments (RXKNBZDG) requesting £1,941 was deferred at the June Grants Advisory Committee pending details on whether any measures would be put in place to fence off the pond for health and safety reasons. The applicant requested their application to be withdrawn.

 

There a total of 5 applications totalling to £7497.

 

·       Elsworth Primary School’s request of £969 was to be funded at full amount.

·       Fowlmere Recreation Ground & Village Hall’s request of £2000 was to be funded at the full amount providing they could confirm they would be funded the remaining £33,429.21within the 12-month period.

·       Cambourne Church’s request of £2000 was deferred until the next meeting as more information was required.

·       Duxford Community Centre’s request of £528 was to be funded at the full amount.

·       Cambourne Lawn Tennis Club’s request of £2000 was rejected due to it being a town council building and facility that was leased for their use.

 

It was emphasised that Appendix B contained the criteria and application form with the requirement that all local district councillors were in support before funding and all councillors would be provided with full details before projects were put forward to the committee.

7.

Date of next meeting

Friday 26th August, at 2:00pm.

Minutes:

Friday 26 August 2022, at 2pm.