Issue - items at meetings - Three Year Strategic Grants 2010-13

Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached).

(1)         That Cabinet agrees the recommendations from the cross party Members Advisory Group on Grants for the allocation of the Three Year Strategic Grants programme in 2010-13.

115.1                The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance setting out the proposed allocation of the council’s Three Year Strategic Grants programme in 2010-13 for Third Sector organisations (for copy see minute book).

115.2                Councillor Simson recapped the process followed by the cross-party Members’ Advisory Group (MAG) in making their recommendations for funding and explained that the Communities Team would work with all unsuccessful applicants to find alternative support packages.

115.3                Councillor Mitchell commented that it was always difficult to make decisions to allocate grant funding and that it was good to see the variety of groups recommended for funding, however, she regretted that the Crew Club in Whitehawk had been unsuccessful in their bid. She questioned the influence of the Cabinet with regard to MAG recommendations, questioning whether the final decision to approve lay with the Cabinet.

115.4                Councillor Randall echoed Councillor Mitchell’s comments regarding the Crew Club and added that it was unfortunate that the Pre-School Learning Alliance and Wood Recycling Project had also been unsuccessful in their bids.

115.5                Councillor Simson stated that Cabinet was not the appropriate forum to discuss individual applicants; she was happy that MAG had made a unanimous recommendation following full and frank discussions. She reiterated that the Council would support those organisations that were unsuccessful in their bid through alternative funding sources and assistance, along with those who were not allocated all the funding they requested.

115.6                Councillor Watkins, a member of the MAG, stated that the cross-party group was set up under the previous Administration following concerns raised around Member involvement in the grant-making process. He agreed that it was inappropriate to go into detail, but recalled that there were good reasons why the Crew Club was not recommended for funding and that it was ultimately up to the Cabinet to make the final decision. He added that the presentations and details provided by officers to support the recommendations were of unprecedented quality.

115.7                The Chairman stated that the MAG was cross-party and a process had to be followed; it was for the representatives to feed comments from their Group back to the MAG. he process had never been challenged before and the decision-making bodies had always agreed the recommendations made by the MAG.

115.8                Councillor Caulfield stated that Bridge Centre was in her ward and had also been unsuccessful in receiving funding, but that the Cabinet respected the recommendations of the MAG; Members accepted this when they agreed to cross-party working groups.

115.9                In response to questions from Councillor Mitchell the Monitoring Officer confirmed that the MAG’s role was to put forward recommendations for the Cabinet to agree and that if Members were trustees or paid members of staff of any of the organisations recommended for funding it was for them to decide whether they should declare an interest.

115.10            After consulting the Monitoring Officer, Councillor Simson confirmed that she did not have an interest to declare.

115.11            The Chairman stated that to dispel any doubt she would declare a personal, but non-prejudicial interest due to her position on the management board of the Resource Centre, which had been recommended for funding. She chose to take no further part and Councillor Simson assumed the role of Chairman for the vote.

115.12            RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:

(1)         That the recommendations from the cross party Members Advisory Group on Grants for the allocation of the Three Year Strategic Grants programme in 2010-13 be agreed.