Meeting documents

Southern Rural Committee
Thursday, 28th July, 2011 7.30 pm

Time: 7.30pm Place: Committee Room 1, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City
 PRESENT: Councillor John Bishop, Councillor Tom Brindley, Councillor Jane Gray, Councillor Cathryn Henry, Councillor D. Miller.
 IN ATTENDANCE: Peter Underwood (Community Facilities Manager), Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager), Ashley Hawkins (Community Development Officer) and Hilary Dineen (Committee and Member Services Officer).
 ALSO PRESENT: At the commencement of the meeting 1 member of the public.
Item Description/Resolution Status Action
PART I
17 ELECTION OF A CHAIRMAN FOR THE MEETING

The Committee and Member Services Officer advised that, as apologies had been received form the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, it would be necessary to elect a Chairman for this meeting of the Southern Rural Committee and asked for nominations.

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Brindley be Chairman of the meeting, no other nominations were received.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Brindley be elected Chairman for this meeting of the Southern Rural Committee.
 Agreed   
18 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Alan Bardett, David Barnard, Tricia Cowley and Mrs C.P.A. Strong.
 Noted   
19 MINUTES
Minutes

16 June 2011 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chairman.
 Agreed   
20 NOTIFICATION OF OTHER BUSINESS

No other business was discussed at the meeting.
 Noted   
21 CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

(1) The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting;

(2) The Chairman reminded the Members that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda should be declared as either a prejudicial or personal interest and are required to notify the Chairman of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a prejudicial interest should leave the room and not seek to influence the decision during that particular item.
 Noted   
22 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

There were no public presentations to the Committee.
 Noted   
23 PROPOSED COMMUNITY HALLS STRATEGY
Report
Appendix 1

The Community Facilities Manager presented the report regarding the Proposed Community Halls Strategy. He advised that an information report had been presented to this committee on 25 November 2010 following which the first draft of the document had been presented to Cabinet who recommended that it be placed for public consultation. The Strategy would support requests for Section 106 contributions and was a dynamic document which covered the complete range of Community Facilities across the District and would therefore need reviewing regularly.

Members asked whether there would be an action plan arising from the document and whether community groups wishing to consider taking on the operation of a hall would receive the relevant support. Members considered that policy numbers should be included in the document.

The Community Facilities Manager drew attention to Paragraph 8.1.14 which detailed that the Council would seek opportunities to work with partner agencies and community groups regarding management and provision of community facilities. He advised that NHDC provided support to village halls in the form of grant funding and Community Development Officer time and that forums were in place to offer support with drawing up business plans. He stated that taking on the operation of a hall involved a lot of hard work and many responsibilities.

RESOLVED:
(1) That development and implementation of the Community Halls Strategy be supported;

(2) That the Community Facilities Manager be requested to consider the following as consultation feedback from the Southern Rural Committee:
- That wherever policies are mentioned in The Community Halls Strategy the relevant policy number is included.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Southern Rural Committee to comment on the proposed Community Halls Strategy prior to consideration by Cabinet.
 Agreed   
24 CHAMPION NEWS AND FINANCE REPORT
Report
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Appendix 4.1
Appendix 4.2
Appendix 5

The Chairman welcomed Stuart Izzard (Community Development Manager) and Ashley Hawkins (Community Development Officer - Baldock) to the meeting.

The Community Development Manager presented the report entitled Champion News and Finance Report and drew attention to the following:

RURAL GRANT AWARDS 2011/12
The Community Development Manager advised that the Rural Grants Programme would be circulated to Parish Councils by 31 July 2011 and that completed application forms would need to be returned by Monday 31 October 2011. There were 3 funding streams open for application being:
- The Community Building Refurbishment Fund (approximately £25,000);
- The Playgrounds Fund (approximately £10,000);
- Environmental Improvement Fund (approximately £14,000).

PLANNING CONTRIBUTION FUNDING
The Community Development Manager advised that the Community Development Officers were assisting Parish Councils with potential projects that may be eligible for funds via received Planning Section 106/Unilateral Undertakings payments.

LAUNCH OF THE RURAL COMMUNITY POT - FUNDING PROGRAMME
The Community Development Manager advised that the Rural Community Pot had a budget of £20,000 which had been allocated from the North Herts Local Strategic Partnership Performance Reward Grant.

HIGHWAYS WORK PROGRAMME
The Chairman of the meeting informed Members that the £5,000 grant funding for Highways schemes in Great Ashby had generated some £10,000 funding from the North Hertfordshire Highways Partnership - Joint Member Panel. There had been 2 scheme which could not be progressed as these were un-adpoted roads.

In respect of St Pauls Walden lay-by the Chairman advised that Hertfordshire Highways had progressed the scheme as a budget led scheme and that the budget allocated was insufficient to implement the original scheme.

FINANCE REPORT
The Community Development Manager advised that the committee had £14,460 unallocated funds available in the discretionary Budget with a further £800 available in the Capital Visioning Budget.

MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING
The Community Development Manager advised that payments under Memorandums of Understanding would be reviewed by all Area Committees in the November area committee cycle to line up with the Council's budget setting process..

Members agreed that any organisations that wished their payments to continue should be requested to present to this committee.

VILLAGE OF THE YEAR
Members were advised that Pirton had received the award for Village of the Year (North)

RESOLVED:
(1) That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well being for rural communities be endorsed;

(2) That the Committee's budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Ward Development Budgets and the allocated Visioning Budgets be noted;

(3) That the Community Development Manager be requested to contact organisations which are in receipt of payments under a Memorandum of Understanding in order that they be asked to make a presentation to this committee.

REASON FOR DECISION: To ensure that the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Development Officer and to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee.
 Agreed  Community Development Manager
25 GRANT APPLICATION - KNEBWORTH BOWLS CLUB

The Community Development Manager advised that the Knebworth Bowls club had been operating for almost 100 years. They were currently working to get the club in a fit state for the centenary celebrations. The club had 65 members with the Ladies team playing in the national finals. The clubhouse had been rebuilt by volunteers following a fire

The Chairman of the meeting advised that Knebworth Bowls Club had approached Knebworth Parish Council for matched grant funding, but the application was refused.

Members agreed that the people of Knebworth Bowls Club encapsulated an active group trying to be self-sustaining.

RESOLVED:
(1) That grant funding of £800 be awarded to Knebworth Bowls Club from the 2011 - 2012 Capital Visioning Budget towards the cost of works to upgrade the watering system, ditches and equipment;

(2) That grant funding of £670 be awarded to Knebworth Bowls Club from the 2011 - 2012 Discretionary Budget towards the cost of works to upgrade the watering system, ditches and equipment.

REASON FOR DECISION: To improve services provided by local organisations and groups which are accessed by the community.
 Agreed  Community Development Manager