Agenda and draft minutes

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Contact: 03450 450 500 Email: Democratic.Services@scambs.gov.uk 

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Councillor Clare Delderfield declared an apology for absence and was substituted by Councillor Bill Handley.

2.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

Councillor Jose Hales declared a non-pecuniary interest as trustee of Melbourn Mobile Warden Scheme.

 

Councillor Sue Ellington declared a non-pecuniary interest as a trustee of Swavesey Mobile Warden Scheme.

 

Councillor Bill Handley declared a non-pecuniary interest as local member of Over & Willingham as the parishes were in the process of setting up a Mobile Warden Scheme.

3.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 303 KB

To authorise the Chair to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on Friday 25 September 2020 as a correct record.

Minutes:

The Grants Advisory Committee authorised the Chairman to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting held Friday 25 September 2020.

4.

Community Chest: Funding Applications pdf icon PDF 251 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Grants Advisory Committee reviewed the Community Chest applications that were deferred from the meeting on Friday 25 September 2020 as well as all new applications received between 11 September and 16 October 2020.

 

The committee also considered revisions to the ‘Guidance notes for Community Chest 20/21’ in Appendix C.

 

The three Community Chest applications that were brought forward in ‘Appendix A’ of the reports pack were:

 

·       Milton Colts Football Club (QQHQXWBT) for £1,000;

·       Horningsea Residents Association (HRA) (JHJWCDWN) for £876.00;

·       1st Hardwick Scout Group (SVDSZLHP) for £1000.

 

After consideration of the applications, the Committee recommended to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance that all three applications be funded.

 

The Committee also recommended to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance that the update to the ‘Guidance notes for Community Chest 20/21’ be accepted.

 

5.

Impact of Covid-19 on Mobile Warden Schemes pdf icon PDF 141 KB

Minutes:

The paper outlined how each of the services have had to adapt their model and what the financial impacts are, which had differed substantially across the Mobile Warden Schemes within the district. The substantive discussion for this item took place under the following item.

6.

Mobile Warden Scheme - Allocation of Under-spend pdf icon PDF 398 KB

Minutes:

It was remarked that different mobile warden schemes received a variation in funding amounts due to a wide variety of factors. The number of people benefitting from the scheme, the amount the scheme charges, the level of financial reserves that scheme has and how much the Parish Council is contributing to the scheme.

 

The Committee noted that there was, at the time, no funding commitment from the County Council for the Mobile Warden Schemes. It was remarked however, that there appeared to be some money being awarded from the innovation and cultivation grant for Mobile Warden Schemes across Cambridgeshire.  It was commented that the Council should be looking to use the underspend from the procurement operation to give parishes security over long term funding, as many parishes had serious concerns over the long-time viability of the schemes.

 

Grants Advisory Committee recommended to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance that:

·       The £58k underspend would not be used for existing budgets but increase funding for existing schemes to be considered from April 2021 until March 2024 plus 18 months’ worth of part-funding for new schemes from October 2022 until March 2024. Officers would, for the next meeting, work out how much the existing schemes would need come April 2021 and then what would be needed April 2022 for newly created funds.

 

Any new schemes that applied in the new round of applications starting from November 2020, would also be able to draw money for future funding from this pot.

 

It was remarked of the need to be wary of inflationary uplifts while looking at medium term financial strategies when securing the future of the Mobile Warden Schemes.

 

It was agreed that officers would go back to the County Council to try to encourage more funding for Mobile Warden Schemes in South Cambridgeshire. It was commented that Age UK were carrying out a cost-benefit analyses for all their Mobile Warden Schemes. As such, it was noted that officers would postpone any conversations with the county until that data could be collected as this would allow savings to be identified to the County Council for funding Mobile Warden Schemes.

 

It was agreed for officers to bring a report back to an extraordinary meeting of the Grants Advisory Committee – 20November 2020

 

It was agreed to consider changing the terminology to Community Warden Schemes to avoid any confusion with sheltered housing mobile wardens.

7.

Impact of Covid-19 on Service Support Grants pdf icon PDF 39 KB

Minutes:

The committee noted that the advice services had seen a higher than usual demand for their services due to COVID-19.

 

Grants Advisory Committee recommended to the Lead Cabinet Member for Finance that:

·       The Grants Advisory Committee give consideration to the budget for Service Support Grants from April 2022 until March 2025.

 

It was agreed that Grants Advisory Committee give consideration to the budget for Service Support Grants from April 2022 until March 2025.

 

8.

Date of next meeting

Friday 27 November 2020 at 10:00am.

Minutes:

Friday 20 November 2020 at 10:00am.