Contact: Margaret Plumridge, ext 6173 e-mail: [email protected]

1. Introduction

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 purpose of this report is:

i) to provide details of the current financial position of the Community Buildings Fund for 2006/07.

ii) to provide details of a request for partnership funding from the Community Buildings Fund.

1.3 The partnership funding distribution criteria is set out in Appendix 1.

1.4 The project set out in Appendix 2 meets fully the criteria and has been allocated a proposed level of partnership funding in line with the criteria.

2. Background

2.1 Partnership funding from the Community Buildings Fund enables 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 voluntary sector enables local communities to access the services and facilities they need.

2.2 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 Priority - Enhancing our sense of place.

3. Impact Assessment

3.1 Organisations applying to this scheme are by their nature defined as accessible to all members of the community. This is embodied within their charitable objects, therefore no groups or organisations should be excluded from any benefit arising from these decisions. Furthermore a new application procedure has been introduced which includes equalities monitoring information agreed as part of the corporate review of grants programmes and procedures.

4. Financial Implications

4.1 On 23 March 2006 £100,000 was set aside from the 2006/07 capital programme for Recreation and Heritage to fund applications that meet the criteria during this financial year. Allocations totalling £94,945 have been approved to date leaving a balance of £5,055. The proposals in this report amount to £3,500 and if approved would leave a balance of £1,555 for the remainder of the year.

5. Legal Implications

5.1 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.

Recommendations

The following decision is sought:

i) that partnership funding totalling £3,500 be approved for allocation from the Community Buildings Fund for 2006/07 as set out below:

LINK TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

Yes No

Hampshire safer and more secure for all _

Maximising well-being _

Enhancing our quality of place _

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 have 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

Application for financial assistance Community Support Service

Recreation and Heritage Department

Mottisfont Court

Winchester

Appendix 1

The partnership funding distribution criteria for the Community Buildings 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

· 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 one third 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.

· Feasibility studies - applications will be considered for 50% of the cost up to a maximum of £500.

Priority Criteria:

1. Health and safety issues that could result in the building being closed or activities seriously curtailed if the work is not carried out.

2. 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).

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

4. Non priority work.

Appendix 2

Summary of grant applications received

Priority 1 Health and Safety

Priority 2 Disability Discrimination Act

Priority 3 Phased Development

Priority 4 Applications for General Improvement Works