Agenda item

Applications £2,880 and under

Meeting of NHB Community Grants Panel (replaced by the Community Grants Panel March 2021), Tuesday 25th July 2017 4.00 p.m. (Item 10/17)

Minutes:

South Bromsgrove Academy – 3G Sports Pitch Enhancement

The Democratic Services Officer gave a brief summary of the application (which was for a portable electronic scoreboard), covered the amount of funding requested and the total cost of the project, the aim of the project and evidence of the impact of growth.

Alyson Jewson, Chair of Governors attended to respond to any questions from the Panel, which included:

· How will this benefit the residents – the pitch was not just for the school but for everyone to use and the take up of users had been more than anticipated.

· Funds had been received from Section 106 monies – yes the Council contributed towards the overall package. School budgets, like everyone else’s are being reduced and it was hoped that the pitch would start to pay for itself. The addition of the piece of equipment would make the pitch more professional and draw in more people and significant sporting events. It would be available for all sporting fixtures using the 3G pitch.

· It was a fundamental piece of equipment for leagues games and a pitch of this type.

Finstall First School – Defibrillator Box

The Democratic Services Officer gave a brief summary of the application which covered the amount of funding requested and the total cost of the project, the aim of the project and evidence of the impact of growth.

Councillor Caroline Spencer attended to present this application which she had supported and respond to questions from the Panel, which included:

· It was explained that the cost was for a locked, coded box to be fitted outside the school, thus enabling more people to have access to the defibrillator if necessary.

· Who will pay for any necessary training – the installer had already provided training free of charge and was willing to do this again and provide the necessary leaflets to promote that training to the local community also free of charge.

· Ongoing maintenance costs – this will be funded by the PTA.

St Peters Community Centre – Centre Refurbishment

A representative from the Community Centre attended the meeting in order to respond to questions from Members, which included:

· The Community Centre was currently registered with Environmental Health with a 5 star rating as a lunch club for older people was held there every week. However, it was finding it difficult to maintain this due to the condition of the fridge and work surfaces which had seen better days. The NCT and Castle Kids also used the Centre.

· The shortfall in funding – the School and Church had held fund raising events and pledged the money to meet the shortfall.

1st Alvechurch Guides – New Rangers Unit

There was no representative present to respond to questions from Members.

1st Barnt Green Guides – Brownsea Island Camping Trip and Equipment

Representatives from the Guides attended to respond to any questions from Members, which included:

· The amount requested was in access of the cost of equipment what would this be spent on – travel costs as these were expensive and often necessitated several trips to the site and a separate vehicle for equipment. The cost to parents was between £280 and £320. The current equipment was over 15years old

· This seemed a lot of money for parents to find, and Members questioned whether any allowance was made for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

· The current group had 35 members with a waiting list of between 12 to 18 months, they often went on the list before they were at an appropriate age to ensure they got a place. They tried to be all inclusive and currently had a young person with Down Syndrome who had attended trips with additional support.

· Any engagement with the wider community – they carried out activities in Bromsgrove and Worcester and with other Guide units.

· Various incentives were in place, to encourage them to fund raise and those that participated would reap the benefits of a discount.

2nd Hagley Guide Unit – In Tents in Hagley Project

A representative from the Guide Unit attended the meeting in order to respond to any questions form the Panel, which included:

· How would the shortfall in the funds be met – the Unit had started to claim gift aid and had been holding various fund raising events.

· How will the money be spent – on a new mess tent and equipment, these will be shared with other units in Hagley. There was a central store where equipment could be accessed, but this was often old and not very well looked after.

· It was difficult to share sometimes as the units from across the County often go to the same events, as this was part of the Guiding movement.

Alvechurch Picnic In the Park – Purchase of 12 Walkie Talkies

There was no representative present to respond to questions from Members.

Hagley Cricket Club – Refurbishment of the Changing Rooms

A representative form the Cricket Club attended in order to respond to questions form Members, which included:

· Where the balance of the cost of the project would come from – they have some funds from the general fund (from the bar and club), but it would be difficult to cover all the additional costs.

· How accessible is the Club to members of the community – it is open to everyone to come and watch and have various teams playing throughout the summer, and practice sessions throughout the week.

· Funds were received from the NHB Community Grants Scheme last year – these went towards updating the kitchen and bar, which has now highlighted that the changing rooms could do with updating.

Hagley Theatre Group – Aligning for Growth Project

Representatives from the Group attended to respond to questions from the Panel, which included:

· Where is the Group based – we will be based at the new Community Hub and the money will go towards new back drops etc for there as the stage measurements are different to those at the current venue.

· The number of members – around 30 youth members at the moment and 12 adults. It fluctuated between the youth section and adults, at the moment the youth section is most popular but the adult section was beginning to build up membership again after a quiet period.

· The Hub is not built yet, so what is the timescale? It was understood that the building work would begin this year and be completed within 12 months.

· Any grant would need to be used within 12 months of approval – the Group had all the details of the new stage and were able to store everything prior to the new centre opening.

· Do you have links with other theatre groups and local schools – some of the young people who attend the Group are from the local schools and the Group have previously loaned equipment and scenery to other groups, but are dubious about this as they do not want it to be damaged or unavailable should they need it.

Bentley Pauncefoot Parish Council – Cur Lane and Pumphouse Lane Safety Assessment

Parish Councillor Barry Spence attended on behalf of the Parish Council to respond to questions from the Panel, which included:

· What the Parish Council hoped to achieve from the report once the work had been carried out – use it to support any requests for traffic management that may be deemed necessary. There was strength of feeling amongst residents that the proposed housing development applications would have a significant impact on the country roads and the commissioning of a report would help support this or show that there was no significant impact. The Parish Council would then be in a position to be able to act upon the results of that report in whatever way was deemed necessary.

· The Panel questioned whether this was something that the Worcestershire County Council Highways department were already doing – it was explained that the Parish Council had made representations to them but they had been very dismissive of any concerns raised.

· Whether the Parish Council had its own funds available to pay for this report – it had but it was felt that as money was generated through new homes being built then it could be argued that it should be paid for from those funds. It would not be used to stop the new developments merely to mitigate the impact of them.

· Members advised that it was at this early stage that the Parish Council should be contacting the Highways department and their local County Councillor to ensure that funds were made available through Section 106 monies and to continue to try and engage with those parties to ensure that they were aware of the concerns at the earliest possible stage.

Belbroughton & Fairfield Parish Council – Traffic Calming Gateway Entrances to Belbroughton

A representative from the Parish Council attended to respond to questions from Members, which included:

· Whether Worcestershire County Council had been approached in respect of this – it was confirmed that they had not been directly contacted.

· The considerable funds available in the Parish Council funds – this was used for good causes and the Parish Council thought they would try to access grant funding first before deciding whether to use its own funds.

· The format of the Parish Council’s annual accounts – it was commented by the Panel that it would be more helpful to highlight areas of earmarked reserves rather than showing a large balance of funds available.

· The type of gateways proposed – it was confirmed that these would be of the solid type. It was also confirmed that there had been 2 major accidents in recent weeks to the east of the village and one to the west.

· The Panel questioned that if it was of such a concern then either WCC Highways should have been advised or the Parish Council should pay for the work to be carried out.

Clent Cricket Club – provision of ladies and gents toilets/changing facilities

Representatives from the Cricket Club attended to respond to questions from the Panel, which included:

· How many female members have you at the moment – none but we have wives and daughters of members who attend as spectators and like to have a game of cricket for fun, but not competitively.

· Is the facility open to the whole community – very much so, there are a lot of clubs locally who are very competitive, but this Club is very much about playing friendly cricket for enjoyment and being open to all abilities.

· It was hoped that by improving the facilities this would encourage more female members to come along and play.

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