Local democracy

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Keighley Town Hall. View directions

Contact: Jane Lythgow 

Items
No. Item

43.

DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST

(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

 

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

 

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

 

Notes:

 

(1)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

 

(2)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

 

(3)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

 

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

 

Minutes:

No disclosures of interest in matters under consideration were received.

 

44.

INSPECTION OF REPORTS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

 

(Jane Lythgow - 01274 432270)

 

Minutes:

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

 

45.

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

To hear questions from electors within the District on any matter this is the responsibility of the Committee. 

 

Questions must be received in writing by the City Solicitor in Room 112, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY, by mid-day on 13 December 2016.

 

(Jane Lythgow - 01274 432270)

 

Minutes:

There were no questions submitted by the public.

 

46.

THE ALLOCATION OF THE COMMUNITY BUILDING GRANTS (EXTENDED COMMUNITY CENTRE CORE COSTS) pdf icon PDF 96 KB

The report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Sport (Document “V”)  sets out the Community Building Grants allocation process.  Community Building Grants are for Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to support them in meeting their associated building related costs.

 

This item was deferred at the meeting on 24 November 2016 to allow additional information to be provided.

 

Recommended -

 

(1)  That the proposed allocation process for Community Building Grants be noted.

 

(2)  That the Keighley Area Coordinator be requested to organise meetings of the Area Committee’s Grant Advisory Group to consider Community Building Grant applications for funding from groups within the Keighley  Area. 

 

(3)  That the Keighley Area Coordinator be requested to provide a further report to a meeting within the 2016-17 municipal year with recommendations from the Grant Advisory Group on how to allocate the Community Building Grants funds available. 

 

(Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee)

(Amiria Khatun – 01274 437467)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The report of the Strategic Director, Environment and Sport (Document “V”) set out the Community Building Grants allocation process. The report reminded Members that Community Building Grants were for Voluntary and Community Sector organisations to support them in meeting their associated building related costs.

 

It was acknowledged that the issue had been deferred at the meeting on 24 November 2016 as Members had requested that additional information be provided.

 

The report discussed at the meeting on 24 November 2016 had informed Members that as part of the budget decision on the 25th February 2016, it had been agreed to reduce the discretionary support available to voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations.  Following a review, by the VCS Buildings Support Group, it was proposed to merge the support available into one Community Building Grant.  The decision making process for that grant would be devolved to Area Committees in recognition of their local knowledge and  to increase fairness, transparency and accountability.

 

Document “V” explained how the Review Group had determined the allocations to each area and that this was modelled on core costs and community development.  It had been acknowledged, however, that using that formula some areas with disproportionate allocations may be unable to cope.  Allocations had, therefore, been made on a 50% needs and 50% current allocation basis.  The Review Group’s recommendation had been agreed by the Regeneration, Planning and Transport Portfolio Holder on behalf of the Council Executive. The legitimacy of that approval had been questioned at the meeting on 24 November 2016 and the legality of that decision was confirmed in the report being discussed.

 

Appended to Document “V” was the Community Buildings Grant application process and consultation report.  It was explained that those documents had been despatched to applicants and some completed applications had been returned.

 

Members raised a number of issues including:-

 

·         The previous report did not contain details of organisations across the district in receipt of assistance and the current amounts allocated.  Despite a request that the information be provided Document “V” did not include that detail.    That information would be useful to provide an indication of duplication and the services which could be amalgamated to make efficiencies.  The information would also aid Member decision making.

 

·         Additional points made at the meeting in November had not been addressed including a view that the decision that Bradford West Area Committee should be responsible for allocating funds to organisations supporting district wide activities and community of interest groups could be biased towards groups in the Bradford West area. 

 

·         The statement in the report  that grants would be available for two years should be conveyed to applicants as the claim that funding was available subject to budget cuts was misleading.

 

·         The language used on the Expression of Interest forms was unclear.  Statements advising that the funding would be available to ‘everyone’ and ‘young people’ was felt to be confusing..

 

·         The application process documentation should be written in plain English.  The current documents were confusing and contradictory.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.