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Decision Maker: West Central Area Committee
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
To identify grant-funding priorities for the use of S106 contributions from the devolved S106 developer contributions funding.
The Committee received a report from the Urban Growth
Project Manager regarding the S106 third round priority setting.
The report set the context that grant applications seeking devolved S106 funding for local outdoor sports or community facilities were being reported to the relevant
area committees between now and mid-February. There had been one application for community facilities funding from West/Central
Area - for a side extension to the
main hall at St Augustine’s Church in Castle ward (Appendix C of the Officer’s
report).
The report also
explained that, whilst a grant application to support community use of new
indoor sports facilities at King’s College School would be reported to a
meeting of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee in January, there was also
an opportunity for the WCAC to consider allocating devolved outdoor sports S106
funding, as the facility would offer local schools and community groups access
to the existing outdoor sports facilities. (Appendix D of the Officer’s
report).
In his
introduction to the report, the officer clarified that:
i.
The Darwin Green development (mentioned in the
application from St Augustine’s) would have its own two-storey community
building. Whilst this could become managed by the community in due course, no
decisions had yet been made about which group could do so. The suggestion in
the committee report, that consideration of a further grant to St Augustine’s
should be conditional on the applicant agreeing to run the community rooms at
Darwin Green, was withdrawn.
ii.
Councillor Tucker had written to him to express his
support for the St Augustine’s application.
iii.
S106 funding would be tapering off and running down
in future.
iv.
The report for the Community Services Scrutiny
Committee on 15 January 2015, published on 7 January, recommended a £75,000
indoor sports S106 grant to King’s College School for its visitor changing room
improvements.
Comments from members of the public:
Mary
Wheater (Treasurer) Committee of Windsor Road Residents’ Association
(WIRE):
i.
The maximum funds available should be allocated by
the Committee to the St Augustine’s church hall side extension, with the
remainder to be considered at the next WCAC meeting.
ii.
There was a shortfall of community facilities in
Castle ward.
iii.
The facilities planned for Darwin Green were
calculated on the number of new residents and did not take in to account the
number of existing households.
iv.
St Augustine’s had a good record of project
delivery and delivered within budget. Without the grant allocation it would be
difficult for the project to advance.
Richard Footitt, Representative of St Augustine’s:
i.
Confirmed there had been two occasions when
additional revenue funding for activities had been sought.
ii.
Groups were encouraged to apply independently for
their own funding.
Member of the public:
i.
Asked what support King’s College School was
already giving to the public.
ii.
Enquired what facilities were going to be provided
by the grant funding.
iii.
Queried what specific commitment would King’s
College School be prepared to make to the public.
Comments from the
Committee:
Councillor Smith
gave the Committee more details of the e-mail received from Councillor Tucker
expressing support for the St Augustine’s application. He suggested that the
application be awarded in two
tranches from the maximum funds available with the remainder committed from
2015 funding. This would enable St Augustine’s to proceed with their fund
raising activities in a positive manner
Councillor
Hipkin:
i.
Supported the recommendation sent by Councillor
Tucker.
ii.
Indicated that the present improvements at St
Augustine’s had provided a first rate community facility which currently could
not meet demand. The grant to provide a side extension would allow the space to
be divided and met those demands.
iii.
Advised that the facilities were used by community
groups across the City.
iv.
Reminded the Committee that funding awarded to St
Augustine’s for present improvement work had been completed within twelve
months and therefore completion of the extension could be guaranteed.
v.
Stated that by supporting the application from
King’s College School would give the Committee access to a major project that
would allow them to place recommendations on community access.
Councillor Smith:
i.
Suggested that the St Augustine’s application
should be considered on merit and queried why the Officer had recommended that
this should be deferred.
Councillor Reiner:
i.
Enquired why there was no reference to Rouse
Ball Pavilion
which had been discussed at the last meeting.
ii.
Stated it was difficult to make a decision on the
two applications when not all the projects had been listed.
iii.
Noted if funding was to be agreed for King’s
College School, it should be widely advertised that the facility would be
available to the public.
iv.
Stated that it was essential be clear as to what
the community groups and organisations would receive from King’s College School
and the grant should be conditional to the community agreement.
Councillor Bick:
i.
Expressed disappointment that there was no
application from a state school to consider.
ii.
Commented on the funding for St Augustine’s as a
disproportionate resource for one institution and queried whether future
requests for revenue activity would cease.
Councillor Reid:
i.
Expressed the importance of the approval of the
community use agreement for access to King’s College School’s outdoor
and indoor sports facilities by the Committee.
ii.
Stated that it would not be unreasonable to
request how King’s College School currently met the Charity Commission
regulations on private schools making their facilities available for community
use.
Councillor
Holland:
i.
Stated there was a need for community facilities in
the Castle Ward Area.
ii.
There should be no condition on grant funding for
St Augustine’s relating to community facilities on Darwin Green.
Officer’s comments:
i.
The two project proposals referenced in the report
related to applications for grant-funding local projects primarily benefitting
the Area as part of the current (third) S106 priority-setting round. Funding
for the Rouse Ball Pavilion had been allocated from S106 strategic funding
(for projects that would benefit more than one area of the city) as part of the
first two S106 priority-setting rounds.
ii.
Officers had recommended that consideration of the
St Augustine’s application should be deferred until the next (fourth) S106
priority-setting round later in 2015 because the grant requested was greater
than the amount currently available in the Area’s devolved S106 funds for
community facilities.
iii.
It would be possible for the Area Committee to
decide to allocate the devolved community facilities contributions currently
available to the St Augustine’s application, albeit that this was smaller
than the full amount requested. The Area Committee just needed to be aware that
this would reduce the amount of funding that could be available to local
proposals for community facilities improvements, from any of the wards in the
Area, in the next priority-setting round. One particular proposal being
developed by a local organisation was mentioned as an example.
iv.
Community access to King’s College School would be
primarily for community groups, organisations and sports clubs rather than
individual members of the public.
v.
King’s College would be subject to a community use
agreement.
vi.
Confirmed that a project appraisal for the visitor
changing facilities for King’s College School (including details of the
community use agreement) would be agreed by Area Committee’s Chair, Vice Chair
and Opposition Spokes (for the outdoor sports grant) and the Community Services
Scrutiny Committee (for the indoor sports grant, assuming that the
recommendation in the Community Services Scrutiny Committee report on 15
January 2015 was agreed by the Executive Councillor).
Councillor Cantrill proposed that the current funds available (at least
£75,000) were allocated to St Augustine’s Church towards a side extension to
its main hall. When future funding became available the application would be
considered further with other proposals received.
6 votes to 0 with 1 abstention in favour of this
proposal.
Councillor
Cantrill proposed that the grant application for £50,000 to King’s College
School be approved subject to the following:
i.
Should be linked to the approval of the Executive
Councillor for Community, Arts and Recreation of £75,000 indoor sports grant towards the visitor changing rooms (to
enable access to King’s College School’s indoor sports facilities). This would be
considered at a meeting of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee scheduled
on 15 January 2015.
ii.
Project appraisal approval to be agreed by WCAC
Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes.
iii.
Approval of a community use agreement for access
to the school’s outdoor and indoor sports facilities, to be agreed by WCAC Chair, Vice Chair and
Spokes
6
votes to 0 with 1 abstention in favour of these proposals.
The Committee
i.
Resolved (6 votes
to 0 with 1 abstention) to allocate all the devolved community facilities
S106 contributions currently available to the West Central Area (at least £75,000) to St Augustine’s Church towards a side
extension to its main hall. When further devolved S106 funding becomes
available in future S106 priority-setting rounds, the application would further
be considered along with other proposals received.
ii.
Resolved (6 votes
to 0 with 1 abstention) to allocate £50,000 of devolved outdoor sports
S106 funding as a grant towards the development of visitor changing rooms at
King’s College School’s new sports centre subject to the following:
·
Approval of the Executive Councillor for Community,
Arts and Recreation of
a £75,000 indoor sports grant towards the visitor changing rooms (to enable
access to King’s College School’s indoor sports facilities) to be considered at a
meeting of the Community Services Scrutiny Committee scheduled on 15 January
2015.
to be agreed by WCAC Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes.
Approval of a project appraisal·
to be agreed by WCAC Chair, Vice Chair and Spokes.
Approval of a community use agreement for access to the school’s outdoor and indoor sports facilities,
Report author: Tim Wetherfield
Publication date: 19/03/2015
Date of decision: 07/01/2015
Decided at meeting: 07/01/2015 - West Central Area Committee
Accompanying Documents: