Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Local Communities

Forward Plan Ref: 2017/151

Contact: Sarah Jelley, Senior Policy & Performance Officer Tel: 07554 103437

Report by Assistant Chief Executive (CA8).

In February 2016 the council agreed to set aside £1m for creating a 'one off' fund to provide pump priming to support the provision of open access children's services. 

In September 2017 Cabinet agreed the proposed use of the underspend of £232,674 for further rounds of grant funding and a cross party group of councillors bringing proposals back to cabinet for decsion.

The working group have considered the applications under the seventh round of bids against the criteria outlined in the guidance notes with recommendations to Cabinet. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)          approve for funding the following bids:

a.    Benson Little Acorns

b.    Didcot APUK

c.    East Oxford Primary School (reduced award)

d.    St Edburgs Church with Kingsmere (reduced award)

e.    The Comfort Trust;

(b)         approve changes/variations to the following previously awarded projects:

a.    Abingdon Carousel

b.    Cutteslowe Community Association

c.    Faringdon Town Council

(c)          approve delegated authority to Cabinet Member for Local Communities delegated decisions for minor changes and variations to projects.

In February 2016 the council agreed to set aside £1m for creating a 'one off' fund to provide pump priming to support the provision of open access children's services. 

In September 2017 Cabinet agreed the proposed use of the underspend of £232,674 for further rounds of grant funding and a cross party group of councillors bringing proposals back to cabinet for decision.

The working group have considered the applications under the seventh round of bids against the criteria outlined in the guidance notes and Cabinet considered a report setting out their recommendations.

Kathy Peto, for East Oxford Primary School, thanked Cabinet for considering giving part of the grant requested but asked that consideration be given to funding more fully. Ms Peto, clarified that they were not asking for rent for use of the school. The school was unable to accommodate the stay and play sessions and would need to rent space in the former children’s centre. She noted that any rent would come back to the County Council but also queried whether the rent could be waived as had happened for other groups. Ms Peto explained the nature of the outreach work referred to in the bid application.

The Chairman referred to the statement included in the addenda from Don Anderson on behalf of Cuttesloe Community Association.

Councillor Paul Buckley, local councillor for Wolvercote & Summertown, declared a non-pecuniary interest as his wife was a trustee of Cuttesloe Community Association. Councillor Buckley spoke in support of the statement from Don Anderson requesting a deferral of the decision in respect of the bid by Cuttesloe Community Association. He highlighted the success of the activities and the impact the loss of £3k would make to their finances in 2018/19. He explained that the recommendation was based on out of date data and that most of the money carried over related to money raised by trustees themselves. He added that only £2k of Council funded money was being carried over and this was going to new work. He expressed concern with the way that the matter had been handled and hoped that in future there would be greater communication with groups at an earlier stage.

Councillor Jamila Begum Azad, Shadow Cabinet Member for Children & Family Services expressed concern at the reduced funding for East Oxford. It was an area with a high degree of transition and a high number of refugees. Many families experienced language barriers and the local primary school had a high number of pupils with English as an additional language. The former children’s centre was at risk of under use and Councillor Begum Azad supported the bid by the School and would wish to see funding increased as there was still money in the pot.

Councillor Gray, Cabinet Member for Local Communities responding to the points made confirmed that it had appeared to the Working Group that on the East Oxford Primary School bid space was to be rented from the school and they were not comfortable with that. He thanked Ms Peto for her clarification that this was not the case. He confirmed that the Group had never supported outreach work given the transition fund was about access to activities. Sarah Jelley, Senior Policy & Performance Officer, indicated that it was possible to offer a rent free period for one year. It was proposed that the request for deferral be agreed and that the matter be determined by the Cabinet member for Local Communities. On the request by Cuttesloe Community Association Sarah Jelley detailed that since publication of the report clarification on the information provided and the request for deferral had been received. It was proposed by Councillor Gray that the request for deferral be agreed and the matter be considered by him at a future delegated decisions meeting.

During further discussion Councillor Hibbert Biles spoke in support of the Health Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young (HENRY) programme, part of the bid from St Edbergs Church with Kingsmere which she felt should be supported. Councillor Gray explained the reasons for the recommendation of the Panel.

The Leader of the Council referring to the remaining funding proposed that Political Group Leaders consider the use of residual funding but noted that it would be for Council to agree.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)          approve for funding the following bids:

a.    Benson Little Acorns

b.    Didcot APUK

c.    St Edburgs Church with Kingsmere (reduced award)

d.    The Comfort Trust;

(b)          approve changes/variations to the following previously awarded projects:

a.    Abingdon Carousel

b.    Faringdon Town Council

(c)          approve delegated authority to Cabinet Member for Local Communities delegated decisions for minor changes and variations to projects; further that authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Local Communities delegated decisions to determine the application by East Oxford Primary School and the request from Cutteslowe Community Association; and

(d)          ask Political Group Leaders to consider the use of the residual funding.