ITEM CMDSSC3
CABINET MEMBER FOR SAFER & STRONGER COMMUNITIES 7 JULY 2009
VILLAGE HALL/COMMUNITY CENTRE GRANTS 2009/2010
Report by Head of Community Services
Introduction
1. The County Council’s grant scheme for the improvement of village halls and other community buildings is administered by the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council (ORCC). This Report summarises the applications received and recommends allocations from the grant fund for 2009/10.
Applications Received
2. Twenty two applications were received and were checked against the established eligibility criteria of the scheme (Annex 1) (download as .doc file).
3. Notes of each application are in the Members’ Resource Centre.
ORCC Grant Recommendations
4. ORCC’s grant recommendations are attached in the table at Annex 2 (download as .xls file). These have been discussed with ORCC’s Village Halls Advisory Group consisting of representatives of village hall committees countywide.
Third Party Funding as a trigger for Landfill Tax Credit support for projects
5. It is possible that in a few cases part of a grant recommended for a project will be needed as Third Party Funding in order to trigger a grant from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment. This is a productive use of the Council’s financial support in order to lever in other funds. A note about Third Party Funding is included in the Guide to the application notes in the Members’ Resource Centre.
Progress on grants allocated in 2007/08 and 2008/09
6. Ten grants were allocated in 2007/08 totalling £57,100. Of these three projects remain in progress (Charney, Lewknor, North East Abingdon).
7. Fifteen grants were allocated in 2008/09 totalling £58,260. Of these four projects are still in progress (Chinnor, Upton, Wootton/Dry Sandford and Wroxton).
Financial Implications
8. The annual budget for these grants in 2009/10 is £58,843. This is equal to the sum of the recommendations in Annex 2.
9. Funds from 2007/08 and 2008/09 budgets have been carried forward to meet the commitments made to projects approved in those financial years.
RECOMMENDATIONS
10. The Cabinet Member for Stronger & Safer Communities is RECOMMENDED to approve the grants proposed in Annex 2 to this report.
RICHARD MUNRO Head of Community Services
Background papers: Notes on Applications
Contact Officer: Richard Munro, Head of Community Services Tel: (01865) 323579
June 2009
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