Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

 

Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 3

 

24 January 2008

Community Libraries Programme, Big Lottery Grant

Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage

 

Contact: Chris Edwards 01962 826700 e-mail: [email protected]

 

1. Summary

 

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

    i) That the offer of a grant of £1,245,804 from the Big Lottery Fund, Community Libraries Programme, be accepted.

    ii) That the Learning, Engagement and Adult Development Project (LEAD) be developed further, and plans submitted to the Big Lottery by 14th April 2008.

 

2. Reason

 

2.1 The Big Lottery, Community Libraries Fund have offered Hampshire County Council a grant to develop the Learning, Engagement and Adult Development Project (LEAD) at 5 Library sites in Hampshire.

2.2 The Lottery Grant, together with £202,637 from the Recreation and Heritage Capital Programme over the next 3 years will result in increased capacity to attract a wider cross section of users and create facilities for adult learning and community activities at Libraries in Waterlooville, Havant, Hayling Island, Leigh Park and Aldershot. The project aims to reshape libraries to make them more welcoming, improve heating and lighting, redecorate and provide new equipment.

3. Other Options Considered and Rejected.

 

3.1 The project had to fit the criteria laid down by the Big Lottery to have been successful. One of these criteria was aimed at areas of deprivation, so, having identified the most deprived areas in Hampshire, options were considered as to which sites should be considered. Gosport was not included as Gosport Discovery Centre has only recently been developed. This left the four libraries in Havant, and one in Aldershot. The Lottery criteria allowed applications for between 1 and 5 sites, and the Options Appraisal considered all of these in isolation and various combinations of sites.

3.2 The outcome of the Options Appraisal was that an application should be submitted covering all 5 sites, as this had the potential to attract the greatest level of increased usage and therefore produced the best value for money.

 

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive Member consulted.

 

None.

   

5. Dispensation by the Standards Committee

 

    Not applicable.

  

6. Reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent.

 

    Not applicable.

   

Approved by: Date:

 

 

 

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Councillor Mrs. M. Snaith