Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/WS/19/042

Leader of the Council: Cllr John Griffiths

Portfolio Holder: Cllr Robert Everitt          

Chair of the Review Group: Cllr Jim Thorndyke    

Lead Officer: Davina Howes

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.    A framework setting out West Suffolk’s approach to grant funding and rate reliefs, attached as Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/042, be approved;

2.    The changes to future criteria and applications to grant funding and rate reliefs, as set out at paragraphs 2.4 to 2.6 of Report No: CAB/WS/19/042 and at Appendices B and C, be approved; and

3.    The changes made to the allocation of funding to each grant, as set out at paragraphs 2.7 to 2.8 of Report No: CAB/WS/19/042 be approved.

(Report No: CAB/WS/19/042)

Councillor Jim Thorndyke, Chair of the Grants to External Organisations Review Group, was in attendance to present this report to Cabinet.  It was explained that in June 2019, the Cabinet had agreed to establish a group (titled the West Suffolk Grants to External Organisations Review Group) to carry out a review of West Suffolk Council’s Grants to External Organisations.  The aim of the review was to ensure that locality budgets and grants made from 1 April 2020 and reliefs made from 1 April 2021 were aligned to the Council’s strategic objectives and offered value for money. 

The Review Group had agreed that a framework setting out West Suffolk’s approach to grant funding and rate reliefs should be developed.  The aim of the framework was to make clear what the Council sought to achieve by awarding grant funding and rate reliefs and to establish a set of principles that would guide the Council’s approach to offering financial support.  Therefore, this proposed framework was attached at Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/042.

The Review Group had also considered the effectiveness of grant schemes and had agreed changes to future criteria and applications to each of the funds within the scope of the review, as set out in paragraph 2.6 and in Appendices B and C to the report.  The changes considered were informed by previous discussions held by the Review Group, feedback from the survey of applicants and recipients of grant funding and reliefs and feedback from the Councillor survey relating to Locality Budgets.

The Cabinet then considered each of the recommendations from the Review Group, as set out within Section 2 of the report.

RESOLVED:

That:-

1.       A framework setting out West Suffolk’s approach to grant funding and rate reliefs, attached as Appendix A to Report No: CAB/WS/19/042, be approved;

2.       The changes to future criteria and applications to grant funding and rate reliefs, as set out at paragraphs 2.4 to 2.6 of Report No: CAB/WS/19/042 and at Appendices B and C, be approved; and

3.       The changes made to the allocation of funding to each grant, as set out at paragraphs 2.7 to 2.8 of Report No: CAB/WS/19/042 be approved.