Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision:

The report recommended Leisure Grant Priorities for 2012-14 aligning them to the arts and sports strategies and changes to the funding arrangements and criteria following consultation with voluntary and community organisations including current grant recipients.

Decision of Exec Cllr for Arts, Sport and Public Places:

             I.      Approve the proposed Leisure Grant Priorities as detailed in 4.2 of the report.

          II.      Approved the proposed funding arrangements and eligibility criteria as detailed in 4.3 and 4.4 of the report

Reason for the Decision:

The need had arisen to consolidate the funding into succinct priorities to enable the grants to continue to support the council’s strategic objectives.  Following approval to review the grants by this committee in March 2011 draft grant priorities, funding arrangements and eligibility criteria were produced for consultation.

Any alternative options considered and rejected:

The current method of awarding grants has resulted in some groups receiving funding from the Council over a sustained period of time, so any changes to priorities and processes will need to be carefully assessed, communicated and implemented in phases to support groups to manage the changes and protect services as far as possible.

Scrutiny Considerations:

The committee received a report from the Operations and Resources Manager regarding Leisure Grant Priorities. Member agreed that it was time to review the number of organisation that had been funded long term by the grants process. Those organisation would be assisted to find alternative funding freeing up resources for other agencies to be assisted.

The Scrutiny Committee considered and endorsed the recommendations in the report by 6 votes to 0.

The Executive Councillor for Arts, Sport and Public Places approved the recommendations.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

N/A