Agenda item

REPORT OF THE POLICY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

To bring to the Committee’s attention some important community-based activities that will take place during the next few months.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Committee be recommended to endorse the actions taken by the Community Engagement Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Royston;

(2)       That the Committee agrees to the carry forward of £1,500 from the current budget to the 2021/22 financial year to continue to support the Free After 3pm Parking Initiative in Royston;

(3)       That the Committee agrees that any unspent funds from the 2020/21 financial year be allocated to Community & Environmental Projects for 2021/22.

Audio recording – 1 hour 7 minutes 18 seconds

The Community Engagement Officer presented the report entitled Grants and Community Update together with the following appendix:

·                Appendix 1 – 2020/21 Financial Year Budget Sheet.

He advised Members that:

·                There remained £2465 in the budget and as this was the last meeting of the financial year, it was recommended that the Committee agree to carry forward £1,500 from the current budget to the 2021/22 financial year to continue to support the Free After 3pm Parking Initiative in Royston;

·                The remaining underspend of £1,145 could be carried forward to the following year for Community and Environmental Projects;

·                There were potential grant applications in the pipeline from Royston Town Youth Football Club, Coombes Community Association and the Royston Choral Society;

·                The Community Engagement Officer advised that he had been doing community support volunteering, delivering hand sanitiser and social distancing signage to various groups and signposting businesses to the Covid support grants available to them;

·                Two of the Chair’s Volunteer Achievement Awards 2021 winners had been from Royston: Friends of Therfield Heath and Royston v Coronavirus;

·                Bicycle racks on Market Hill were due to be installed on 7 May 2021 with groundwork being done on 14 April;

·                Icknield Walk bus shelter was due to be in place by the summer, subject to Covid and Brexit;

·                The installation of the bus shelter on Melbourn Street by the Town Hall may not take place until the end of the year;

·                A consultation was due to take place concerning the potential new bandstand in Priory Memorial Gardens;

·                Trinity Life Church was submitting an application to develop a community hub, including facilities for young people, to the Community Facilities Capital and District Wide Grants Panel on 24^th March 2021.

The following Members made comments and asked questions:

·                Councillor Carol Stanier;

·                Councillor Tony Hunter;

·                Councillor Ruth Brown.

The Community Engagement Officer replied to questions as follows:

·                The funds carried forward would be in the base budget for 2021/22 under the theme of Community and Environmental Projects;

·                There was an issue with getting lighting to the narrow section of the pathway on the public Right of Way at Green Drift.

·                County Councillor Steve Jarvis confirmed that it was proposed that there would be a light at the end of the path and the County Council was looking at adopting the road to progress this project;

·                Funds had been allocated to refurbish the kitchen at the Town Hall to make it more suitable for people with disabilities and this was with the architects and would then go out to tender for the works;

·                Signage was being looked at for the 5km and 10km ‘Walk and Talk’ routes but was proving difficult due to restrictions.

Councillor Tony Hunter proposed, Councillor Carol Stanier seconded and it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Committee be recommended to endorse the actions taken by the Community Engagement Officer to promote greater community capacity and well-being for Royston;

(2)       That the Committee agrees to the carry forward of £1,500 from the current budget to the 2021/22 financial year to continue to support the Free After 3pm Parking Initiative in Royston;

(3)       That the Committee agrees that any unspent funds from the 2020/21 financial year be allocated to Community & Environmental Projects for 2021/22.

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure the Committee is kept informed of the work of the Community Engagement Team.