Archived decisions

Contact: David Carman, ext 5967 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be active in their community, protecting local distinctiveness and diversity, respecting Hampshire's heritage and planning proactively for the future.

2. Recommendation

2.1 That grant payments to Environmental Service Providers be allocated as follows:

(i) Historic Parks and Gardens £20,000

Hampshire Gardens Trust

(ii) Schools Landscapes:

(a) supporting the County Council £15,000

Schools Landscape Programme

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

(b) supporting advice at a national level £22,000

Learning Through Landscapes

(iii) Conservation Volunteering £10,000

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

(iv) Built Heritage £15,000

Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust

(v) Farming and Wildlife £15,000

Hampshire Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group

(vi) Coastal Archaeology £19,000

Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology

3. Environmental Service Providers

3.1 On 16 January 2007 the Executive Member for Environment agreed the allocation of budgets for grant payments to community, voluntary and charitable organisations for the delivery of environmental services that contribute to the County Council's corporate objectives.

3.2 The Executive Member also agreed the criteria against which applications will be judged and against which the applicant organisations will be expected to deliver the service. The grant payments are made in accordance with the guidance and codes of the One Compact for Hampshire.

3.3 On 23 January the application forms, which include details of the services to be provided, the funding available, the criteria for organisations to meet and the measures against which the delivery of services will be judged, were published on the Hampshire County Council grants website. Organisations were invited to submit proposals for delivering the service and achieving the required outcomes, and to provide details of the number of people and hours they are able to supply, their skills and experience and other information relevant to the application. Organisations which have not worked with the County Council before were asked to provide two independent references.

3.4 All applications have been assessed against the published criteria and a judgement made on the competency of the organisation to deliver the service. A summary of applications received, comments on the quality of applications and the decisions to go forward for recommendation to the Executive Member are detailed in the attached appendix.

3.5 Notification of grants awarded will be given as soon as possible after the decision is made and in writing. All applicants will be sent details of the timetable in March 2007. The grants will also be covered by grant agreements. Letters and formal agreements will outline how the service is to be provided, when payment(s) will be made and mutually agreed targets/performance measures.

4. Impact Assessments

4.1 In accordance with the One Compact for Hampshire applications for grants are open to all voluntary and community bodies with relevant experience, enabling equal opportunity for all.

5. Conclusion

5.1 Applications for grants were received for all areas of Environmental Service Provision. All applying organisations are known to Hampshire County Council and have delivered environmental services in the recent past. More than one application was received for three of the service areas, indicating a greater degree of openness to applicants than under the previous Service Level Agreement arrangement. All applicant organisations met the criteria required for eligibility. The recommendation to award grants is based therefore on an evaluation of the applicant's statement of how the service would be delivered, as well as on officer's personal experience of working with organisations. There is confidence in the ability of the recommended organisations to deliver the services effectively.

1311Rpt/DC