Agenda and draft minutes

Information on public speaking is available online

There were no members of the public registered to speak.

The minutes of the 2 February 2022 were agreed.

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

Cllr J Bailey: Minute 87; Personal Interest; Devon County Councillor.

Information on matters of urgency is available online

None.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the press) have been excluded.   There are no items which Officers recommend should be dealt with in this way.

None.

To discuss the draft rules and application form for the new medium sized grants scheme previously recommended to Cabinet by the Panel.

The Funding and Engagement Officer reminded the Panel of the decision to withdraw from the Devon Crowdfunding Scheme, whereby Devon County Council had agreed to the Council retaining the remaining funding of approximately £74k, but with the condition that the funding must be allocated to community projects.  The medium sized grant scheme had been previously discussed by the Panel and recommended to Cabinet.

Devon County Council has also stipulated that the use of the fund must go towards the aims of the Poverty Strategy and its Action Plan.

Therefore the panel debated the drafted rules, guidance notes and the application form for the grant scheme.

The debate included:

·         Previous debate at Cabinet had indicated that the 50% of match funding may still deter some applicants, and should be revisited to lower it.  The Panel did not discuss any lower match percentage, as the criteria detailed that the applicant only had to have in place 70% of that match funding on application which the Panel felt was appropriate for the scheme;

·         Concern that restricting the fund to projects that met with the Poverty Strategy would reduce the number of applications that came forward, particularly when the same money available before under the Crowdfunding scheme had a broader criteria.  The Funding and Engagement Officer outlined a number of elements of the Poverty Strategy that would provide opportunities for application, and that these terms had been instructed by DCC;

·         The guidance as set out, gave clear focus for applications, which in turn would be considered by the Panel.  There was opportunity to review the scheme after the first round of applications, where the Panel could monitor the number and quality of applications, as well as review the criteria as required;

·         The wording on the application form under section 3 contained double negative questions and needed clarification.  Although some alternative wording was discussed, the Funding and Engagement Officer agreed that the questions raised would be better under a separate section and reworded for clarity.

RECOMMENDED to Senior Officer for decision

1.    That the medium sized grants application criteria, now reviewed as requested by Cabinet, be approved, as set out in the report to the Community Grant Panel on 9 March 2022;

2.    That the application form be amended under section 3 to separate section in order to clarify that any application with ongoing costs; or previously funded by the Council; will not be eligible for the grant.

RESOLVED that the Panel will monitor the applications received, and review the

process after the first round of applications has closed

DECISION:
The recommendations were approved by a Senior Officer. The Senior Officer Decision Notice is listed above under Additional Documents