Issue - meetings

The Council was running a S106 funding round in 2023/24, seeking grant applications from community groups, sports clubs and schools (as well as proposals from council services) of between £5,000-£30,000 for improving equipment and/or storage at sports venues or community buildings with meeting space in Cambridge. Nine eligible proposals (totaling around £125,000), received by early September 2023 and deliverable by April 2024, were recommended for approval.

The Officer’s report also revisited a long-standing S106 project. Almost a decade ago, a £255,000 S106 grant was allocated for providing additional meeting space at East Barnwell Community Centre in Abbey ward. Plans for the project had changed significantly since then, so it was important to update the purposes for which the S106 funding allocation could be used. This case had also highlighted how the Council could strengthen its S106 management processes by adding precautionary measures to help make sure that generic S106 funds for community and outdoor/indoor sports facilities could be used locally and on time.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Communities

The Executive Councillor for Communities agreed to:

      i.          Allocate generic S106 funding from the relevant S106 contribution types, subject to business case approval and community use agreement (as appropriate), to the following project proposals:

See section 4 and Appendices A and B of the Officer report for more details.

     ii.          Refocus the use of S106 funding allocated to the East Barnwell Community Centre project in 2013 so that the allocation could now support community facility improvements forming part of the East Barnwell redevelopment that was being overseen by the City Council as part of the Cambridge Investment Partnership (see paragraph 5.3 of the Officer’s report).

   iii.          Approve a new process whereby any generic S106 funds in the community facilities or outdoor sports or indoor sports categories that were within two years of the date by which they need to be used or contractually committed may be de-allocated from a project which was unlikely to deliver on time, so that they could be re-allocated to another relevant project (related to where the S106 contributions were from) which could make timely use of this funding (see paragraphs 6.1-6.3 of the Officer’s report).

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Community, Sport & Recreation Manager.

In response to Councillors query about the progress of the East Barnwell Community Centre project, the Urban Growth Project Manager said the project had changed since the initial bid in 2013. Officers wanted to keep the funding alive. Recommendation (iii) was just a prudent approach.

The Committee unanimously resolved to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.