Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE COMMUNITIES MANAGER

To update  the Committee on the activities and actions of the Communities Officer, to advise on the current expenditure and balances of the delegated budgets and to consider applications for grant funding.

Audio Recording – Start of Item – Session 2 – 16 seconds

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Development and Visioning Budgets be noted;

(2)       That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being Hitchin be endorsed;

REASON FOR DECISION: To keep Members of the Committee apprised of the latest developments in community activities in Hitchin.

Audio Recording – Start of Item – Session 2 – 16 seconds

The Senior Communities Officer presented the report of the Communities Manager entitled Grants and Community update and drew attention to the following:

Update on Previous Grants awarded and Community Engagement

Paragraph 8.2.1 detailed a list of organisations providing a counselling service that had received funding from Area Committee budgets in the last 2 years.

Section 106 funding

Paragraph 8.2.4 gave details of the amount of Section 106 funding available for suitable capital projects.

If members had suggestions for projects that these amounts might be used for they could contact the Communities Officer.

Members were reminded that the way Section 106 funding was collected had changed and that the Communities Team were collating any future requirements in terms of capital funds to support larger scale community needs. These would be communicated to planning officers to assist when negotiating any new agreements with prospective developers.

If members had any suggestions of suitable projects or requirements within their wards the should inform the Communities Officer.

Update on information requested regarding Churchgate

The Deputy Chief Executive confirmed that officers were fully aware of the steps that lead from the riverside up to St Mary’s Square and the inscription on them.

Budgets

The budget for 2018/19 was £13,700

The amount carried forward from 2017/18 was £13,131

The total amount available for grant funding was therefore £26,831.

The total of the grant funding requests presented to this meeting was £13,826.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the budgetary expenditure, balances and carry forwards from the Development and Visioning Budgets be noted;

(2)       That the actions taken by the Community Development Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being Hitchin be endorsed;

REASON FOR DECISION: To keep Members of the Committee apprised of the latest developments in community activities in Hitchin.