Contact: Frances Martin, Community Strategy Officer Ext: 5122

1. Summary

1.1 This report makes recommendations in respect of a number of applications for funding from various LSPs across the County, which have either been approved by the Chief Executive; are subject to approval by the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration; or which require referral to the Leader for approval.

2. Background

2.1 A budget for supporting projects derived from the County Council's statutory duty to prepare a community strategy has been set up and this includes a budget for pump priming the Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) and to develop further community strategies.

2.2 Each of the 11 LSP's are encouraged to bid for money from this budget to support the development of their LSPs and for the pump priming of projects.

2.3 The budget is also available for the development and implementation of the Hampshire Strategic Partnership.

2.4 The Chief Executive can approve amounts of less than £2000. The Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration can approve amounts between £2000 and £5000. Amounts exceeding £5000 must be approved by the Executive Member and referred, with a recommendation to the Leader for decision.

2.5 Appendix B sets out the funding criteria for which bids will be approved. They are intended as guidelines and not prescriptive rules. It is asked that the funding criteria be endorsed.

3. Current bids

3.1 As approved by the Chief Executive, the following bids have been received:

3.1.2 The sum of up to £2,000, to Networkfareham, (Fareham's Community Partnership) to support the steering group in working more effectively together and moving forward the development of their community strategy by a facilitated workshop.

3.2 The following bid is for consideration by the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration

3.2.1 The sum of up to £3,000 for the continued support of an independent facilitator. It was agreed at the meeting on the 28 January that a more facilitated approach to establishing the priorities for the HSP would engage more people and buy in to the process. This facilitation for the HSP support group has been successful to date and the support group would therefore like to see it continue. The independent support for the group was seen as effective and the additional £3,000 would enable support for the process to continue until after the stakeholder event in October.

3.3 The following bid is recommended to the Leader for approval:

3.3.1 A bid has been received from the Rushmoor Strategic Partnership for an allocation of £14,900 as a contribution towards work on developing the community strategy and specific action plans and other parts of the community planning process including :

Supporting seven thematic groups, including venue hire for quarterly meetings of groups for 2003/04 and the support from an independent facilitator to achieve consensus in developing action plans.

Contribution towards a second stakeholder conference (facilitation and venue costs to review progress and action planning.

Evaluating and developing funding opportunities by the employment of a post graduate research student to prepare a report on opportunities and

methodology

To purchase project management software (licensing and training costs) and supporting materials to establish systems for developing the community strategy and consultation processes and the monitoring and evaluation system.

3.4 Following the above approved bids the total spend in relation to the budget is £133,433 leaving £36,567 (see attached appendix A). The unspent funds from 2002/03 has been agreed to be carried over to the budget for this financial year (2003/04). Added together this leaves a total of £227,567.

Recommendations

The following recommendations are sought:

1. That the funding criteria as set out in Appendix B is endorsed

2. To note the following allocation as approved by the Chief Executive:-

A sum not exceeding £2,000, to Networkfareham, (Fareham's Community Partnership) to support the steering group in working more effectively together and moving forward the development of their community strategy by a facilitated workshop.

3. To approve the following allocation:

The sum not exceeding £3,000 for the continued support of an independent facilitator, for the development of the community strategy for Hampshire, as agreed at the HSP steering group on the 28^th January.

4. To recommend to the Leader for decision the following bids:

An allocation of £14,900 from the Rushmoor Strategic Partnership as a contribution towards work on developing the community strategy and specific action plans and other parts of the community planning process.

(Appendix C )

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

File FM Exec Member Location: Community planning/committee

reports