Cambridge City Council

Record of Executive Decision

Environmental Improvements Programme 2023-24

Decision of: Councillor Sam Carling, Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services.

Reference: 23/URGENCY/E&C/19

Date of decision: 4 January 2024                              

Date Published on website: 4 January 2024

Decision Type: Non-Key

Matter for Decision: To approve the allocation of funding to new Environmental Improvements Programme (EIP) applications for 2023-24 following consideration by Area Committees.

Why the Decision had to be made (and any alternative options):

A further round of project applications was invited in Late Summer and early Autumn of 2023.  Some 74 viable submissions were received and 31 nonviable, not all the viable projects were affordable within the capital funding available – so a mechanism for prioritisation was needed and officers gave an indicative guide on a red/amber/green scale.  When EIP applications were sought in 2019/20 (prior to the Covid pandemic) Area Committees were able to approve the local area programmes, since they met in person.  With Area Committee meetings in 2023, now continuing to take place digitally that is no longer possible, with the decisions required to be taken by the appropriate Executive Councillor (Open Spaces and City Services).  The views of all local ward councillors were sought through the Area Committees where they were asked to consider project submissions within their areas and asked to consider the area-based lists of recommended priority projects for consideration by the Executive Councillor for approval decision, the Executive Councillor approved these priority projects.

The Executive Councillor’s decision:

To approve for development and delivery the local area and strategic environmental improvement programme projects as listed in the Appendix A.

Reason for the decision: As Area Committees are currently not meeting in person the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and City Services is needed to approve the local area and strategic allocation EIP project programmes.

Scrutiny Consideration: The Chair and Spokesperson of Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action being authorised.

Report: The attached addended at Appendix A, identifies the prioritised projects within the Area and Strategic Environmental Improvement Programmes, these are to be developed subject to budgets, resource availability, the outcomes of local consultation, and any further processes and approvals required.

Conflict of interest: [None].

Comments: The City Council has a budget of £170,000 (£100,000 for local area and £70,000 for strategic city-wide projects) for Environmental Improvements during 2023/24.  North, South and East Area Committees supported the Officer recommendations and following consideration the Executive Councillor approved these.  West Central Area Committees members discussed an alternative recommendation to the Officer report, following the Committee; Officers investigated these recommendations and adapted the recommendation following further investigation and after consideration the Executive Councillor approved the adapted recommendation. The committee members have been informed of this decision, and the reasoning as to why has been communicated to the appropriate project applicants and where deemed necessary this has been discussed further with the Executive Councillor.

In addition, note that £10,000 EIP Strategic Funding has at present been allocated to sN3 – 2024 - Biodiversity Improvements on St Alban’s Recreation Space, with the expectation that further money will be allocated from s106 to supplement this project, subject to local member consultation.

Appendix A