Archived decisions

    Hampshire County Council

    Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 4

    18 February 2004

    Community Buildings Fund 2003/04

    Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

    Contact: Margaret Plumridge Ext: 6173

    1. Summary

    1.1 The following decisions are sought:

        i) that partnership funding totalling £10,824 be approved for allocation from the Community Buildings Fund as listed below:

    Hall/Centre

    District

    £

    Bursledon Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    3,000

    Fair Oak Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    2,533

    Trinity Church, Ringwood

    New Forest

    2,500

    Hannington Village Hall

    Basingstoke & Deane

    2,791

    TOTAL

    £10,824

    2. Reason

    2.1 To support organisations that seek to enable local people to meet the recreational, educational, social, cultural and environmental needs of their local communities and to achieve the aims of the Corporate Strategy by improving community buildings in order to enable local people to access the services and facilities they need.

    3. Other Options considered and rejected

        - Allocating partnership funding at higher and lower levels.

        - Allocating no partnership funding at all.

    4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted.

        None

    5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

        Not applicable.

    6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

        Not applicable.

    Approved by: (signature) Date: (date of decision)

    .................................

    Councillor J Waddington

    Hampshire County Council

    Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage

    Item 4

    18 February 2004

    Community Buildings Fund - 2003/04

    Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

    Contact: Margaret Plumridge, ext 6173

    1. Summary

    1.1 The County Council works in partnership with specific community organisations particularly community associations and village hall committees who seek to enable local people to meet the recreational, educational, social, cultural and environmental needs of their local communities. These organisations give local people an opportunity to participate in local activities and encourage local initiatives by people of all ages.

    1.2 The Council has wide powers under Section 19 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to provide recreational facilities, and to contribute by way of grant or loan towards expenses incurred by voluntary bodies in providing such facilities.

    1.3 Corporate Strategy

        These grants enable the community sector to maintain the quality of Hampshire's cultural assets, namely their village halls and community association buildings, some of which are listed. This finance enables improvements to be made to those buildings and can assist with the development of new facilities where appropriate. The provision of these buildings by the community sector enable local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

        By providing financial support to these organisations for the maintenance of their buildings the County Council is able to work in partnership with the community sector to achieve the Corporate Aim - Stewardship of the Environment.

    2. Purpose of report

    2.1 The purpose of this report is:

        i) to provide details of the current financial position of the Community Buildings Fund (Appendix 1)

        ii) to provide details of requests for partnership funding from the fund

    2.2 The partnership funding distribution criteria is set out in Appendix 2.

    2.3 Projects listed in Appendix 3 fully meet the criteria and have been allocated a proposed level of funding in line with the criteria.

    2.4 Projects listed in Appendix 4 meet the criteria for voluntary village halls and community associations and will be held over until more funds are available.

    2. Finance

    3.1 Following the last allocation on 22 January, £1,931 was available for distribution (see appendix 1). To this can be added an allocation made to Blandford Hall, Martin of £3,695 that is no longer required. Proposed allocations totalling £10,824 are recommended in this report which exceed the available capital funds by £5,198. This sum can be met from a small underspending in the revenue budget allocation set aside for repairs to county owned premises.

    Recommendations

    The following decisions are sought:

        i) that partnership funding totalling £10,824 be approved for allocation from the Community Buildings Fund as listed below:

    Hall/Centre

    District

    £

    Bursledon Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    3,000

    Fair Oak Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    2,533

    Trinity Church, Ringwood

    New Forest

    2,500

    Hannington Village Hall

    Basingstoke & Deane

    2,791

    TOTAL

    £10,824

    Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

        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:

        Published works

        Documents, which disclose exempt or confidential information as, defined in the act.

        Title Location

    Applications for financial assistance Community Support Service

                    Recreation and Heritage Department

                    Mottisfont Court

                    Winchester

Community Buildings Fund 2003/04 Appendix 1

     

    Community Buildings Fund

     

    £

    Original capital allocation

    85,000

    Sums returned - Stroud Village Hall

    - previous applications

    25,000

    7,249

    Additional allocation from 2003/04 capital programme

    Further allocation from 2003/04 capital programme

    50,000

    25,000

    Revised capital allocation

    192,249

    Less sums allocated in 2003/04 to date:

    29 May 2003

    17 July 2003

    25 September 2003

    16 October 2003 - Exec member P & R

    22 January 2004

    -51,328

    -32,248

    -73,441

    -1,397

    -31,904

    Balance available following last meeting

    1,931

    Returned from Blandford Hall, Martin

    3,695

    Revised balance available at this meeting

    5,626

    Proposed allocations

    18 February 2004

    10,824

    Balance

    -5,198

    Appendix 2

    The application criteria for the Community Grants Fund is as follows:

        Partnership funding is granted for:

        · Building repairs, extensions and refurbishments

        · Health and Safety issues

        · Equipment to improve the buildings and increase usage

        · Feasibility Studies

        Who can apply:

        · Village Halls (not parish run halls)

        · Community Associations

        · Other similar community groups

        · Church Organisations that have a separate community programme on their property

        Funding criteria:

        · For projects costing less than £15,000, the funding criteria is up to ⅓ of the cost.

        · For projects costing more than £15,000, the grant is calculated at 50% of the combined district and parish contribution up to a maximum of 25% of the project costs or £12,500, whichever is the lesser.

        Priority Criteria:

        1. The building would be closed or activities seriously curtailed if the work is not carried out.

        2. The project is part of a phased development and this element is essential to it's overall completion.

        3. The work is absolutely essential in order to meet the terms of the Disability Discrimination Act. ( It has been widely publicised that these types of buildings will not be closed provided reasonable steps have been taken to meet the terms of the Act).

        4. Non priority work.

    Appendix 3

        Summary of recommended grants meeting the criteria

    Hall/Centre

    District

    £

    Bursledon Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    3,000

    Fair Oak Village Hall

    Eastleigh

    2,533

    Trinity Church, Ringwood

    New Forest

    2,500

    Hannington Village Hall

    Basingstoke & Deane

    2,791

    TOTAL

    £10,824

    Name:

    Bursledon Village Hall

    Local Member:

    Cllr. Keith House

    Project:

    Extend existing kitchen

    Priority:

    4

    Criteria:

    Building repairs, extensions and refurbishments

    Links to Corporate Strategy

    Improving buildings to enable local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

    This project will improve the facilities and extend its use to the community

    Cost:

    £15,560

    General Reserves:

    £19,743

    Project Reserves:

    £10,122 held pending completion of previous project

    Statement:

    Existing kitchen facilities are restricted and this project will provide better catering facilities to support hirers and functions.

    Funding:

    Eastleigh Borough Council - £3,000 applied for

    Bursledon Parish Council - £3,000 application to be made

    Recommendation:

    £3,000 as 50% of combined District and Parish contribution subject to confirmation

    Name:

    Fair Oak Village Hall

    Local Member:

    Cllr Carol Boulton

    Project:

    Re-floor main hall and stage

    Priority:

    4

    Criteria:

    Building repairs, extensions and refurbishment

    Health and Safety issues

    Links to Corporate Strategy

    Improving buildings to enable local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

    This project will improve the facilities and extend its use to the community

    Cost:

    £7,600

    General Reserves:

    £15,983

    Project Reserves:

    Nil

    Statement:

    Whilst the existing flooring in the main hall is currently usable, there are areas that are causing concern and this project will enable replacement before it becomes a health and safety hazard.

    Funding:

    Own funds - £2,600

    Eastleigh BC - Application made - no amount specified

    Fair Oak and Horton Heath PC - application made - no amount specified

    Recommendation:

    £2,533 as one third of project cost

    Name:

    Trinity United Reform Church, Ringwood

    Local Member:

    Cllr John Waddington

    Project:

    Construction of new Community Building

    Priority:

    4

    Criteria:

    Building repairs, extensions and refurbishments

    Links to Corporate Strategy

    Improving buildings to enable local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

    This project will improve the facilities and extend use to the community

    Cost:

    £700,000

    General Reserves:

    £60,000

    Project Reserves:

    £70,000

    Statement:

    The previous community building had to be closed on health and safety grounds and this project will provide a new facility to support community use.

    Notes

    This application has been held over since last April pending a survey to be carried out in Ringwood. Whilst this survey is still to go ahead in order to support community development in the area, the church have already started this project and have now been promised £5,000 by New Forest District Council. It is recommended therefore that this application is supported.

    Funding:

    New Forest District Council - £5,000

    Ringwood Town Council - no contribution to this project but will assist with funding a small garden in the grounds.

    Own funding £550,000

    Recommendation:

    £2,500 as 50% of the District Council contribution

    Name:

    Hannington Village Hall, Tadley

    Local Member:

    Cllr Don Allen

    Project:

    Refurbish kitchen with minor structural work.

    Priority:

    4

    Criteria:

    Building repairs, extensions and refurbishment

    Links to Corporate Strategy

    Improving buildings to enable local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

    This project will improve the facilities and extend its use to the community

    Cost:

    £8,373

    General Reserves:

    £7,654

    Project Reserves:

    Nil

    Statement:

    Disabled toilets are currently being installed with financial help from Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and reserves. The kitchen is also in need of refurbishment.

    Funding:

    Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council - no application made - already in receipt of funding for DDA project

    Hannington Parish Council - no funds available

    Recommendation:

    £2,791 as one third of project cost

    Appendix 4

        Summary of applications meeting the criteria held over until more funding is available

    Hall/Centre

    District

    £

    Beech Village Hall

    East Hampshire

    12,500

    Brockenhurst Village Hall

    New Forest

    12,500

    King Edward VII Memorial Hall, Upper Clatford

    Test Valley

    12,500

    Rockbourne Village Hall

    New Forest

    12,500

    TOTAL

    £50,000