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 following budget applications will be considered:-
Application 1
Applicant: Students at Leicester College
Amount: £855
Proposal: Decent Exposure Exhibition
Summary: A group of 19 Photography and Video Foundation Degree students at Leicester College are organising an exhibition to show their work at The Pedestrian on 6th – 19th June 2011. It is hoped to attract the general public from the Leicester area through advertising in local newspapers, magazines and on several radio shows, including the BBC. There will also be posters and flyers in Leicester city centre.
Funding would be used towards the cost of hiring exhibition space and costs associated with the opening night, such as refreshments.
Application 2
Applicant: Leicester City Council Festivals and Events
Amount: £3,000
Proposal: Queens Road Fair and Craft Market, Sunday 19th June and 4th December 2011.
Summary: The Queen’s Road Summer Fair follows on from the successful Christmas Fair on 5 December 2010. The monthly community meeting of shops and residents put forward the idea of a Summer Fair during student term time. The intention is to reduce the Ward funding subsidy to £1,500 per event and work towards the two fairs becoming self financing. The funding would go towards the costs of road closures and the hire of stall units. The stalls will be run by local residents selling mainly home made arts and crafts and some shops and community groups will also have stalls. There will be street entertainment and a stage for music featuring mainly young people from the area.
Application 3
Applicant: Val Kindred (Leicestershire County Netball)
Amount: £745
Proposal: To pilot a 10 week course for women (16+) to get back into Netball at a local venue near to them.
Summary: In partnership with NGB Officer for Netball, Physical Activity Officer for Leicester City Council, and the Community Development Worker at Surestart, the project will target mums at the Surestart group and also open those sessions up to the local community to attend. The project would also link with the City Council’s 3x30 Pledge Campaign – a commitment to do three 30 minutes workouts per week for rewards. The Back to Netball session can be counted as one of the three 30 minute sessions. There would be an introductory offer for the first lesson of £1 per person, but it would cost £2 per person thereafter.
The funding would be put towards venue hire, netball coaches, the design and printing of promotional material, free child care for attendees during sessions, and equipment for pilot lessons.
Application 4
Applicant: Brian Stafford, Parks & Green Spaces, Leicester City Council
Amount: £551.30
Proposal: Welford Road Cemetery – bird & bat boxes
Summary: Welford Road Cemetery is a designated wildlife site. One of the aims of the Cemetery Management Plan is to increase awareness of the importance of the cemetery for nature conservation, through things such as a Dawn Chorus Walk and the production of a nature leaflet. It is also hoped to hold a bat walk & talk later on in the year, facilitated by the Wildlife Trust.
The funding proposal is to purchase a number of bird and bat boxes, which will be installed around the cemetery. We have already undertaken preliminary surveys of bat and bird species, and the installation of these boxes will provide valuable roost and nesting sites for the many creatures that can be found at the site. This will subsequently increase numbers and ensure that the biodiversity of the site is improved.
The boxes themselves are made from a material called “woodcrete” - this ensures that temperature inside the box is regulated and allows for better survival rates. They are more robust than timber boxes and help prevent predation from things such as squirrels and other species. The boxes will be installed on site by maintenance operatives, under guidance from conservation experts, so that the optimum locations are chosen.
Application 5
Applicant: Highfields Community Association
Amount: £6,000 (Joint bid with Spinney Hills and Stoneygate wards)
Proposal: Highfields Festival
Summary: Funding has been requested to hold a festival in the Highfields Centre sports hall / main hall/ forecourt and car park, to celebrate the independence of the Highfields Centre.
The festival will include indoor and outdoor activities, stalls, music, poetry, film taster workshops and a Job Fair. The event will incorporate the annual celebration of Diversity and Unity in the Community young people’s event on Saturday evening and adults & families concert on Sunday evening and will last over two days.
The target audience is the local communities in the Highfields area, young and old and newly arrived communities, as well as those who are unemployed or looking for training. There is an event for young people and a cross generational event and a range of artists from diverse backgrounds.
Funding would be used for staging/equipment/flooring, staffing (temporary), artists, catering, publicity/marketing/HCAN, security.
Minutes:
Francis Connolly, Democratic Services Officer, introduced this item of business. He noted that there was £15,000 in the budget prior to the meeting.
Members considered the following applications:
Decent Exposure Exhibition – request for £855 toward the cost of hiring exhibition space and costs associated with the opening night, such as refreshments.
Councillors identified that the bid was for a project based in the city centre that benefitted other wards in Leicester, and that the benefit would not be felt centrally by Castle Ward residents.
RESOLVED:
that the application be refused.
Queen’s Road Fair and Craft Market, Sunday 19th June and 4th December 2011 – request for £3,000 (£1,500 for each date) towards the operation of these events, including road closures.
The meeting was asked to note that the stalls would be run by local residents and the money would not be used to subsidise businesses.
RESOLVED:
that the application be supported and the sum of £3,000 be allocated from the Ward Community budget.
Back to Netball – request for £745 towards the cost of venue hire, netball coaches, the design and printing of promotional material, free child care for attendees during sessions, and equipment for pilot lessons.
Councillors stated that they were proposing to reject it the application in its current form as it was not soley for Castle Ward. However, they were willing to work with the applicant to develop the application for Castle Ward, as they wished to see netball being delivered within the Ward. The provision of netball facilities was supported by residents at the meeting. They stated that the scheme would be useful for young women, and might help reduce anti-social behaviour.
RESOLVED:
that the application be rejected in its current form.
Welford Road Cemetery – bird and bat boxes – request for £551.30 towards the cost of purchasing a number of bird and bat boxes, which would be installed around the cemetery.
The application was submitted by Friends of Welford Road Cemetery. The application was endorsed by Councillors who stated the designated green space area benefitted the local area.
RESOLVED:
that the application be supported and the sum of £551.30 be allocated from the Ward Community budget.
Highfields Festival – request £6,000 (Joint bid with Spinney Hills and Stoneygate Wards) toward the cost of staging/equipment/flooring, staffing (temporary), artists, catering, publicity/marketing/HCAN, security.
It was stated that funding from the other Wards was still awaited. The original intention was to have the festival in Spinney Hill Park, but due to restoration work, the event would have to take place at Highfields Community Centre. The event would also engage with Czeck and Slovak Communities in the area.
Councillors stated that the area in Highfields that Castle Ward covered was relatively small – and hence agreed to pledge a smaller proportion of the requested amount.
RESOLVED:
that the application be amended to read £500 to be allocated from the Ward Community Budget.