Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

To advise the Committee on the current expenditure and balances of the Committee Grant budgets and bring to the Committee’s attention details of recent requests received for Committee Grant Funding, made by community groups and local organisations

RESOLVED: That the actions taken by the Community Engagement team to promote greater community capacity and well-being for the Southern Rural area be endorsed.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(1)       To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Team.

(2)       This report is intended to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. It draws attention to the current budgetary situation by assisting in the effective financial management of the Area Committee’s budget. This ensures that all actions are performed in line with the Authority’s Financial Regulations, the Council’s Constitution, and the guidance of the existing Grants policy as agreed by Cabinet in January 2020.

(3)       The awarding of financial assistance to voluntary organisations and the use of discretionary spending allows the Committee to further the aims of the Council Plan.

Audio Recording – 11 minutes.

The Community Engagement Team Leader presented the report entitled Grants & Community Update together with the appendix below:

·                Appendix 1 – 2019/20 Financial Year Budget Sheet

She drew attention to the following:

·                There was only one grant application to be considered at this meeting which was from Kings Walden Parish Council;

·                Advice on sound monitoring equipment had been taken from District Council Environmental Health Officers to be included in the report;

·                The Environmental Health Officers consulted had felt that specialist knowledge was required to extrapolate information from the data gathered by monitoring equipment;

·                Item 10 in the Report indicated that £8,899 was available to spend; If Members were minded to allocate £1,500 to Kings Walden Parish Council it would leave £7,399 in the budget.

The Chair noted that aircraft noise had meant business conducted in the village hall in Breachwood Green needed to be paused momentarily while aircraft passed overhead.

The Chair noted that in view of the continual expansion of the airport that data gathered by Kings Walden Parish Council would assist them in putting together a picture of the noise pollution in the village of use for future dialogue with the airport.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Sam North

The Community Engagement Team Leader advised the following in response to questions:

·                The number of complaints of noise pollution in connection with Luton Airport in the Kings Walden Parish area was unknown.

RESOLVED: That the actions taken by the Community Engagement team to promote greater community capacity and well-being for the Southern Rural area be endorsed.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(1)       To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Team.

(2)       This report is intended to inform Members of the financial resources available to the Committee. It draws attention to the current budgetary situation by assisting in the effective financial management of the Area Committee’s budget. This ensures that all actions are performed in line with the Authority’s Financial Regulations, the Council’s Constitution, and the guidance of the existing Grants policy as agreed by Cabinet in January 2020.

(3)       The awarding of financial assistance to voluntary organisations and the use of discretionary spending allows the Committee to further the aims of the Council Plan.