Council and democracy
Home > Council and Democracy > Decision details
Decision Maker: East Area Committee
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
To decide which local project proposals for new/improved local facilities to prioritise following the project ideas and grant applications received through the June-July 2015 bidding process.
The Committee received a report from the Urban Growth Project Manager
regarding S106 priority-setting and devolved decision-making.
He clarified two issues. The
first was that a word had been missed from paragraph 4.4b in the officer’s
report, which should read as follows: (missing word, underlined below).
b. the Area Committee is invited to
prioritise which of the three other proposals (for formalising the BMX track on
Coldham’s Common and / or improving the play areas
at Ditton Fields or Dudley Road) to prioritise, using the appropriate devolved
s106 contribution types.
The second was that an alternative approach had been suggested since the
publication of the report. Rather than
prioritising improvements at Ditton Fields OR Dudley Road play area (because
there was less than £50,000 s106 play area funding available for Abbey Ward),
the area committee was given the option of carrying out improvements to BOTH
Ditton Fields and Dudley Road play areas, but at lower levels than those
suggested in the report. This might
allow Ditton Fields play area to receive about £18,000 play area funding for
play equipment for small children plus around £7000 of informal open space
contributions for landscaping improvements.
This would then allow Dudley Road play area to receive around £30,000 of
play area funding with around £10,000 of informal open space funding for
landscaping.
Members of the public made the following statements in support of the
Dudley Road and the Ditton Fields s106 funding applications.
1.
Mr Smallwood spoke in favour of the Dudley Road
s106 funding application and he stated that he would support both Dudley Road
and Ditton Fields getting better facilities.
Several items of equipment had been removed from the play area and the
wood bark needed to be replaced. There
were a lot of weeds which had grown in the play area; it was not a nice play
area for children under 5 to play in.
2.
Ms Cox (supported by a number of local children and
another local resident) spoke in favour of the Ditton Fields play area s106
funding application. There was support
for both Ditton Fields and Dudley Road play areas sharing the funding
available. Ditton Fields did not have
much play equipment for small children, who needed their own space away from
ball games played by older children.
There was a sense of community at Ditton Fields. Ms Cox was happy to share ideas to get
children interested and involved in the design of the park so that they would
want to look after it and use it in the future.
The Committee
discussed the following issues:
i.
Asked the Officer whether there would be sufficient
s106 funding so that good facilities at both Dudley Road and Ditton Fields play
areas could be provided.
This was confirmed by the Development Manager (Streets & Open
Spaces). The Urban Growth Project
Manager also pointed out that if further devolved play area and informal open
space contributions were received in Abbey ward prior to project implementation,
these could be added to the budgets for the play area improvement
projects.
Resolved (unanimously):
i. Noted that (a) Petersfield Area Community Trust was not in a position to take up the offer of a £48,600 grant to convert Sturton Street Chapel and Hall into a community centre and that (b) the allocation was cancelled and released back into the devolved s106 community facilities fund for other local community facility projects in East Area.
ii. Contributed £25,000 of devolved s106 community facilities funds to a grant to refurbish the Memorial Hall and Church Hall on Cherry Hinton Road, subject to a project appraisal and community use agreement.
iii. Agreed, subject to project appraisal and community use agreement to use funds from appropriate devolved s106 contributions from East Area to:
- Formalise the BMX track on Coldham’s Common (around £85,000)
- Improve Ditton Fields play area (at least £25,000)
- Improve Dudley Road play area (at least £40,000).
***See below for
record of delegated Officer’s Decision –
additional information published on insert date***
Officer Record of Decision
|
Decision
of: |
Alistair Wilson Asset Manager
(Streets and Open Spaces) |
||
Reference: |
16/EAC/S106/06 |
||
Date
of decision: |
5.12.16 |
Recorded
on: 5.12.16 |
|
Decision
Type: |
Non-key |
||
Matter for
Decision: |
Implementation of the Ditton Fields play
area improvement scheme and the increased S106 funding level, which is now
available from devolved S106 funding from Abbey ward. |
||
Why the decision had to be made (and any
alternative options): |
As part of the 2015/16 S106 priority-setting round, local residents
and children proposed improvements to Ditton Fields play area. The East Area
Committee on 29 October 2015 decided to fund two local play area improvement
projects (at Ditton Fields and Dudley Road), albeit that the two schemes
might have to be smaller than originally requested given limited S106 funding
availability in Abbey ward. The Area Committee agreed to allocate at least £25,000 of S106 funding
for the Ditton Fields play area improvements, subject to business case
approval. This was based on £18k from devolved (play) ‘provision for children
and teenagers’ contributions and £7k from devolved ‘informal open space’
contributions. This was on the understanding that, if more devolved
contributions became available, officers could increase the funding for, and
scope of, these play area improvements. Since then, it has been possible to increase the budget for this play
area project to £38,489. |
||
Decision(s): |
Approval
of the Ditton Fields play area improvement scheme and the increased
funding level now £38,489 from devolved s106 funding from Abbey ward. |
||
Reasons for the decision: |
As set out in the
Officers Report |
||
Scrutiny consideration: |
Chair and Vice Chair of East Committee were
consulted |
||
|
|
||
Conflicts
of interest: |
No conflicts of interest were declared |
||
Comments: |
Ward Councillors expressed support. |
Publication date: 24/12/2015
Date of decision: 29/10/2015
Decided at meeting: 29/10/2015 - East Area Committee
Accompanying Documents: