Issue - meetings

To follow

Matter for Decision

In 2023/24, officers presented a range of projects submitted through two previous S106 funding rounds for investment in local community and sports facilities. These rounds had identified 30 projects with allocations of over £500,000 of S106 contributions that were approved by the (then) Executive Councillors for improving equipment and/or storage at a range of sports venues or community facilities across Cambridge.

Many of these projects had now been completed or are in the process of being delivered. This latest follow-up round (also being referred to as the ‘third phase’) drew on on-going dialogue with community groups and sports clubs, schools and other partner organisations. It picked up some sports projects that were not quite ready or developed enough for submission before now. The report also recommends S106 funding for strategic sports projects and investment in the light of further assessments of City Council facilities and new community and sports facilities coming on board this coming year.

The Officer’s report recommended allocating £360,000 of S106 funds to fourteen proposals relating to the community facilities, outdoor/indoor sports and swimming pool facilities contribution types. This was mostly about making timely use of those remaining generic S106 contributions that need to be contractually committed or spent, particularly within the next year. Officers envisaged that the projects proposed in this report could be delivered within six months, albeit that the implementation start dates may need to be phased.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Community Safety, Homelessness and Wellbeing

i.                    Noted that £73,276 of outdoor sports S106 funds and £28,935 of community facilities S106 funds had been deallocated from projects to which they were previously assigned and were now available for allocating to relevant new projects (see paragraph 3.7 of the Officer’s report); and

ii.                    Allocated generic S106 funding from the relevant S106 contribution types, subject to business case approval and community use agreements (as appropriate), to the following project proposals (see Section 4 of the Officer’s report and the Appendix):

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.

The Community, Sport & Recreation Manager said the following in response to Members’ questions:

      i.          Officers evaluated the community benefit of projects. If funding went to ‘closed clubs’  then community access agreements would be put in places so facilities were available to all.

     ii.          Jesus Green Association and local councillors were consulted on the CCTV and lighting installed at Jesus Green.

   iii.          Undertook to update Councillor Swift about Donkey Common skate ramps after the meeting.

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.