Agenda and minutes

Venue: Online via the Zoom app

Contact: Amanda Coombes, Democratic Services Officer  01395 517543 or email  acoombes@eastdevon.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

164.

Public speaking

Minutes:

There were no members of the public wishing to speak.

165.

Minutes of the previous meeting held on 4 March 2020 pdf icon PDF 214 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of Cabinet held on 4 March 2020 were confirmed as a true record.

166.

Declarations of interest

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

Minutes:

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Andrew Moulding, Personal, Been involved in past applications to such funding such as Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre Axminster, Axminster Heritage Ltd, Arc Axminster, Virtue & Honour Lodge No 494, a country market at the masonic hall and personal friend to the Lord of the Manor Jim Row who is a freemason as is Cllr Moulding.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Colin Brown, Personal, Has received previous grant scheme funding.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Personal, Potential applicants to grants may be known to him.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Eleanor Rylance, Personal, Has received previous grant scheme funding.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Geoff Jung, Personal, Potential applicants to grants may be known to him.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Ian Hall, Personal, Been involved in past applications to such funding such as Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre and Arc Axminster.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Jack Rowland, Personal, Seaton Town Councillor applicants may be tenants of the council.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Jess Bailey, Personal, Potential applicants to grants may be known to her.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Marcus Hartnell, Personal, Has received previous grant scheme funding.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Marianne Rixson, Personal, Potential applicants to grants may be known to her.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Mike Howe, Personal, Has received previous grant scheme funding.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Paul Arnott, Personal, Wife runs a Bed and Breakfast.

 

Min 169. Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.

Councillor Paul Hayward, Personal, Potential applicants to grants may be known to him.

 

167.

Matters of urgency

There is one urgent item relating to the Government’s business grant scheme which is to be dealt with as Item 7

Minutes:

There was one item that was dealt with in this way which is recorded under minute 169.

168.

Confidential/exempt item(s)

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereare no itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

Minutes:

There were no items that officers recommended should be dealt with in this way.

169.

Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund pdf icon PDF 193 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Service Lead Growth, Development & Prosperity presented the report which sought approval for a proposed policy to manage the deployment of monies being made available through the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund. The report included associated recommendations relating to the timing of when the Fund went live and delegation for the approval of payments. He reminded members that the 2 Government schemes set up in March this year for funding to businesses had had strict guidance which meant many businesses were not eligible to apply for this support.

 

The Chairman read out recent correspondence he had received from East Devon’s MP Simon Jupp on this matter which referred in part to the following:

 

·       Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, EDDC had played a vital role in supporting the community from coordinating volunteering efforts to the delivery of the government’s financial support to local businesses.

 

·       The injection of £72m from central government funds had been crucial in the economic response to the pandemic but some businesses weren’t eligible for financial support for a variety of reasons.

 

·       Work to highlight businesses unable to benefit from the Businesses Support Grant resulted in BEIS providing additional, flexible funding for local authority distribution.

 

·       By focussing solely on the retail, hospitality and leisure sector, EDDC could preclude many business in East Devon that employ large numbers of people and yet continue to have large overheads whilst being extremely limited in their ability to trade.

 

 

Committee discussions included the following:

·       Recognition of local knowledge and the sense of wanting to support local businesses by all members

·       Set up a cross-party group or panel to make decisions, allowing the group to work locally by covering a wide range of opinion across the whole district

·       These were discretionary grants so must support the businesses that fell outside the criteria in the previous funding grant scheme

·       We had plenty of resources, policies and discretion so the need now was to get on with it. If no further funding was going to be received then the application of some criteria would be necessary

·       There was no flexibility in the criteria. This needed ward member involvement to look into local businesses

·       The funding was welcomed, there was a need to look at smaller businesses

·       It was difficult to cover all categories therefore discretion must be the big focus

·       All members were elected so let then be part of the solution through good communications

·       Without any criteria how can we show fairness and transparency to how the funding would be distributed

·       A £2.4m fund needed criteria and a flexible approach

·       Help as many businesses as possible by being pragmatic to what was being asked of the Council

·       Language schools must be included

·       Establish cross-party group to strike a balance of a broad consultation process

·       The need for criteria and form application to allow officers to filter the applications. In the event of possible over subscribing reserve the right to vary the grant level

·       Keep some grants back for businesses that showed good growth potential, were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 169.