Agenda item

Councillors are reminded that they will need to declare any interest they may have in budget applications, and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

The meeting will consider the following applications for funding that have been received:

B1 - Multi Strand Community Cohesion – Phase 2

Further applications were tabled at the meeting.  These are attached.

a)   Highfields Association of Residents and Tenants – Multi Strand Community Cohesion, Phase 2: £3,300

A representative from the Highfields Association of Residents and Tenants (HART) advised the meeting that HART had asked for assistance with the cost of providing interpreter support, a breakfast club, boxing lessons and a minibus for small outings.  These would all be used to help community integration, but would be available to all residents.

It was noted that the provision made under Phase 1 of the Multi Strand Community Cohesion project mostly had been taken up by young boys, so it was hoped that this could be redressed through Phase 2.

The Ward Councillors suggested that it could be useful for the meeting to have feedback on projects that had been assisted and asked that this be done when Phase 2 of this project had been implemented.

AGREED:

that funding of £3,300 from the Ward Community Cohesion Fund be supported.

 b)    Friends of Sparkenhoe (SPARKS) – “Project Playground”: £6,597

Kath Faulkner, Head of Sparkenhoe Community Primary School, explained that, at present, although the school’s playground was at the centre of the community, it was not very interesting.  SPARKS therefore was proposing to install a playground that contained areas for various activities, including play, speaking and listening, gardening and a “jungle gym” that ran all the way round the outside of the playground.  It was estimated that the total cost of the scheme would be approximately £150,000 – 200,000 and that it could take up to two years to become fully equipped.

When pupils at the school were in lessons and the playground was not being used, parents would be able to use it for “stay and play” for pre-school children, with the seating area providing somewhere for the parents to sit and talk.  Private and voluntary providers of nursery education also would be offered use of the facilities.

The playground also could be made available for community use when the school was closed for its summer holiday.  Someone would be paid to be present during the times that it was open, so that all children in the area could use it during that period.  This possibly could be extended in the future.  Some concern was expressed that supervising this facility could be difficult, as encouraging more children to use it increased the potential for problems to arise.

The Chair advised the meting that, as people from Stoneygate, Spinney Hills and Castle Wards would use the playground, the application for funding would be considered by all three Community Meetings with a view to each Ward funding one-third of the amount requested.

In response to questions, Kath Faulkner advised the meeting that discussions had been held with the local Police Community Support Officer and it was felt that there would be a high level of community support in the area.

It was acknowledged that whatever was provided in the playground would need to be maintained.  As such, equipment had been sourced that would not require maintenance for at least ten years.  The Ward Members suggested that Council officers would be able to advise the school on how to achieve the best life span for equipment installed and that it would be useful for the school to include an element for maintenance of the playground in its maintenance budget.

Kath Faulkner reported that the Local Education Authority had suggested that the playground could be run by Leicester City Council’s Parks Service at weekends, so it would be operated as a park on those days.  It was suggested that, if this option was taken, the school should seek recompense from the Parks Service, as this would provide some income towards the costs of the facility.

AGREED:

that funding of £2,199 from the Ward Community Cohesion Fund be supported.

c)      kb in the community/Warriors Basketball – Community Fund Basketball Sessions: £4,035

The meeting noted that Karl Brown, who had submitted this application, was out of the country at present, so was unable to present this application to the Community Meeting.

Steve Letten, Members Support Officer with Leicester City Council, reported that further information on expected numbers of participants and venues had been received and that this was now part of a joint bid to Stoneygate, Spinney Hills and Castle Wards.

AGREED:

that this application be deferred to a Special Stoneygate Ward Meeting to be held to consider how the remaining Ward budget for the 2009/10 financial year should be allocated and that kb in the community / Warriors Basketball be asked to make a presentation on this application at that meeting.

d)     Prem Group – Transport: £2,600

As no one from the Prem Group was at the meeting to present this application or answer questions on it, it was

AGREED:

that this application be deferred to a Special Stoneygate Ward Meeting to be held to consider the remaining applications for funding in the 2009/10 financial year and that the Prem Group be asked to make a presentation on this application at that meeting.

e)      General

It was reported that a group that previously had received a grant towards healthy living and sports provision.  As part of this, it had been agreed that the group would work with a Council officer to progress the scheme.  However, this officer no longer worked at the City Council, so the group was not receiving any support.

Steve Letten, Members Support Officer with Leicester City Council, advised that an application for a grant towards the cost of a litter pick on 20 February 2010 was expected from St Phillip’s Church.

AGREED:

a)     that Steve Letten, Members Support Officer (Leicester City Council), liaise with the group to see how this project can be progressed and that the Stoneygate Ward Members be kept informed of progress with this; and

b)     that, if the application from St Phillips Church for funding towards a litter pick is received and is for less than £500, it be approved.