Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“Relevant Background Information

      The Community & Leisure Services Sub-Committee of 11th May 2004 awarded seventy seven Revenue Grants for the period 2004?07.  Due to the timescale for the Department’s Grant Aid Review these awards were extended for the period 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively.

      In extending the contract period the Committee was aware of the potential risk of limiting equality of treatment and opportunity of those organisations which had not had the chance to apply for this

grant previously.  Subsequently the Development Committee of 12th December 2007 agreed a one-off additional allocation to the Revenue Grant budget of £50,000 to allow new applications from either

·         newly formed groups with premises, or

·         established groups who had acquired premises since the 2003-04 open call.

      Subsequent to public advertisement, a total of 10 Revenue Grant applications were received by the closing date.  The Development Committee of 11th June 2008 agreed the recommendation of 4 awards and 6 rejections of funding.

      Those applications rejected for funding were notified of the decision and their right to appeal.

Key Issues

      Revenue Grants are allocated under three categories or grades towards the running costs of community facilities.  Precedence is given to neighbourhood groups that can demonstrate a broad based programme of activity.

      The appeal process was agreed by the Community and Leisure Sub-Committee at its meeting on 10th January 2006.  Organisations who wish to dispute the Committee decision to reject their application for funding are invited to make a reasoned written submission.  The appeal submission can only be based on the information provided by the group with their application and in advance of the closing date.  No new or additional information will be considered.

      There are then three courses of action open to the Committee

1.      To accept the Community Development Manager’s recommendation

2.      To accept the reasoned written response of the group

3.      To defer a decision and ask for an oral presentation from both the group and the relevant officer at a future meeting of the Committee.

      One appeal was received from Annadale & Haywood Residents’ Association.  The group provided a supporting written submission outlining their reason for appeal.

      In line with our developmental approach, the group were subsequently invited to meet with Council officers where they were afforded the opportunity to discuss the appeal submission in detail.

      Upon review of the assessment process, the information provided by the group in the written appeal submission and the subsequent meeting were judged not to provide grounds to alter the original rejection of the application.

      The application does not comply with our grant-aid criteria which relates to ‘Broad Based Programme’ in that the organisation did not demonstrate or provide evidence of work with children and young people during the assessment process.  This position is further reinforced by the lack of a Child Protection Policy.

Resource Implications

Financial

      Within current agreed budget for Revenue Grants.

Human Resources

      There are no additional staff resources required other than those normally deployed in the administration and appeal procedure of this grant category.

Asset and other implications

      There is no impact on any physical BCC asset.

Recommendation

      Members are requested to approve the CDM recommendation to uphold the original Committee decision to refuse the grant application thereby rejecting the appeal for Revenue Grant from the Annadale & Haywood Residents’ Association.

Abbreviations

CDM         Community Development Manager

AHRA        Annadale & Haywood Residents’ Association”

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed to reject the appeal for Revenue Grant assistance which had been submitted by the Annadale and Haywood Residents’ Association.