Agenda item

            (Mrs. C Taggart, Community Development Manager, attended in connection with this item.)

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0     Purpose of Report or Summary of main Issues

1.1      The purpose of this report is to seek permission from Members to offer contract extensions for 2017/18 across the grant categories to funded organisations.

1.2       In December Members were asked to consider a range of options to address the budget deficit in the Community Development Grants programme, £588,496k.  Following consideration the Committee agreed to refer the matter to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for consideration within the context of the overall rate setting process.

1.3       As part of the rate setting process for 2017/18, SP&R agreed to provide 50% of the funding required for the Community Development Grant Programme, that is, £294k through the district rate and to consider funding for the remaining balance as part of the Quarter 3 forecast.  They further agreed that £294k of the capital financing under spend should be allocated to a specific reserve to fund the remaining shortfall in community grant support for 2017/18.

1.4       Council is awaiting confirmation from the Department for Communities on the level of grant income for 2017/18 from their regional Community Support Programme.

2.0      Recommendations

2.1       The Committee is asked to:

                                          i.     Agree to offer contract extensions for 2017/18 and permit officers to engage with funded organisations on that basis (pending receipt of DfC allocation)

                                        ii.     Note the current assessment of small grant applications based on the same level of available funding as 2016/17.

3.0       Main Issues

3.1      The Community Development Grant Programme contains the following grant categories:

-       Generalist Advice

-       Capacity Support

-       Community Buildings Revenue

-       Small Grants (inc. Summer Scheme and Community Development Project grants)

            It should be noted that the estimated level of funding required for Community Buildings Revenue in 2017/18 is £25,500 less than 2016/17 because four organisations are no longer operating or in receipt of funding.

3.2       The full list of organisations and the contract value of individual awards for the three large grant categories, Generalist Advice, Capacity Building and Revenue for Community Buildings.  Officers are currently assessing small grant applications for both Summer Scheme and Project grants for 2017/18.  Recommendations will be presented to the Director based on the same level of available budget as 2016/17.

3.3       The revenue budget also covers our non-grant support of the Sector via current financial arrangements with community based organisations across the city who deliver services on our behalf in respect of:

·        Independent management of BCC Community Centres

·        Anchor Tenants

·        Service Level Agreement with Play Resource

            Financial & Resource Implications

3.4       Financial: 

            The total Community Development Grant Programme budget for 2017/18 is £3,036,479.20 funded by BCC and DfC through the Community Support Plan. The total available budget is dependent upon the receipt of DfC Community Support Programme income of £1.404m for 17/18.

3.5       Human Resources

            This will be covered within the Community Services work programme

3.6       Equality or Good Relations Implications

            None.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.