Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Khondoker.

There were no declarations of substitute members.

If you have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest* in an item of business:

·         if it is not yet on the council’s register, you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent;

·         you may choose to declare a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest that is already in the register in the interests of openness and transparency. 

In both the above cases, you must leave the room without participating in discussion of the item.

If you have a personal interest in an item of business and you intend to speak or vote on the item you must declare both the existence and details of it at the start of the meeting or when it becomes apparent but you may participate in the discussion and vote on the item.

*(a)Employment, etc - Any employment, office, trade, profession or vocation carried on for profit or gain.

(b)   Sponsorship - Any payment or other financial benefit in respect of your expenses in carrying out duties as a member, or of your election; including from a trade union.

(c)  Contracts - Any current contract for goods, services or works, between you or your partner (or a body in which one of you has a beneficial interest) and the council.

(d)    Land - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the council’s area.

(e)    Licences- Any licence to occupy land in the council’s area for a month or longer.

(f)   Corporate tenancies - Any tenancy between the council and a body in which you or your partner have a beneficial interest.

(g)   Securities - Any beneficial interest in securities of a body which has a place of business or land in the council’s area, if the total nominal value of the securities exceeds £25,000 or one hundredth of the total issued share capital of that body or of any one class of its issued share capital.  

This applies to all members present at the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

Confirmed

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2023 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reasons for Decision: As specified in the report

Other Options Considered - As detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensation granted - none

Executive Member Homes and Neighbourhood informed the meeting that the report was considered at the December meeting. The following points were highlighted:

·       That out of the 51 organisations which were awarded grants, 4 organisations exceeded the total contract value of £500,000 which is deemed to be a key decision under the council’s governance arrangements.

·       At the end of December 2023 all 51 organisations were sent confirmation notifications, and subject to them returning their annual work plans by 16 February 2024, their Service Level Agreements are marked to be completed by 31 March 2024, with a start date for the contracts to commence on 1 April 2024.

·       Executive Member reiterated that to ensure that the commitments made within any established grant agreements and applications are developed and actioned, 6 monthly monitoring and partnership meetings will be held throughout the duration of the grant programme.

RESOLVED:

·       The update of the VCS Partnership Grants Programme 2024-28 be noted.

·       The funding allocation of £2,711,500 per full financial year over the programme for four years , totally £10,846,000 be noted.

Reasons for Decision: As specified in the report

Other Options Considered - As detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensation granted - none

AGREED RECOMMENDATIONS

Reasons for Decision: As specified in the report

Other Options Considered - As detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensation granted - none

Executive Member Homes and Neighbourhood highlighted a number of issues in the report:

·       The report sets out the background of the Council’s DRR policy for 2023-26 and outlines the recommendations for DRR applications received in Round 2 of the programme which ran from 1 June 2023- 31 December 2023.

·       DRR is applied to 6 organisations occupying 6 hereditaments shown in Appendix A.

·       DRR is applied to 1 organisation occupying 1 hereditament shown in Appendix B subject to clarification on activities carried out for community benefit.

RESOLVED:

·       That the DRR awards to the organisations listed in Appendix A for 3 years be noted.

·       That the DRR award to the organisation listed in Appendix B be noted.

Reasons for Decision: As specified in the report

Other Options Considered - As detailed in the report

Conflicts of interest/Any dispensation granted - none