Archived decisions

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Decision Report :

Contact name: Margaret Plumridge

Tel: 01962 84 6173 Email [email protected]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Summary of Decision Area :

1.1 The County Council provides partnership funding from the Community Buildings Fund for capital projects to Community Associations, Village Hall Trusts and similar bodies as outlined in the fund's criteria. This enables the voluntary and community sector to maintain the quality of Hampshire's cultural assets, namely community centres and village halls, some of which are listed.

1.2 This report provides details of the financial position of the Community Buildings Fund in 2008/09 and details requests for partnership funding from this fund.

2) Applications considered in this Report :

3) Recommendation:

3.1 That partnership funding totalling £28,604 as listed above be approved for allocation from the Community Buildings Fund for 2008/09.

MAIN REPORT

1. Purpose of the Report :

1.1 The purpose of this report is :

i) to provide details of the financial position of the Community Buildings Fund for 2008/09

ii) to provide details of requests for partnership funding from the Community Buildings Fund in 2008/09

2. Background/ Contextual Information :

2.1 The County Council works in partnership with specific community organisations particularly community associations and village hall trusts 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.

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

2.3 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 Quality of Place.

3. Budget Position:

3.1 The sum of £100,000 was set aside in the 2008/09 Recreation and Heritage Capital Programme to support the Community Buildings Fund in 2008/09. A further £25,000 from the capital programme carry forward, originally set aside for landlord improvement works to the community centres owned by the county council, has been allocated to support the fund bringing the fund total to £125,000.

3.2 To date, £138,923 has been allocated in this financial year which exceeds the available funds. However, a review of the fund for 2004/05 reveals that a number of allocations made in that year have not been followed up suggesting that the schemes did not finally proceed. This would provide sufficient funding to cover the recommendations in this report and a final allocation for this financial year at the March 2009 meeting.

4. Criteria for Grant:

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

4.2 Projects listed in Appendix 2 meet fully the criteria and have been allocated a proposed level of partnership funding in line with the criteria.

5. Other Considerations

5.1 Legal Implications

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.

5.2 Impact Assessment

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 the application procedure includes equalities monitoring information as agreed as part of the corporate review of grants programmes and procedures.

6. Summary Recommendations:

6.1 That partnership funding totalling £28,604 as listed below be approved for allocation from the Community Buildings Fund for 2008/09.

CORPORATE OR LEGAL INFORMATION:

Appendix 1

CRITERIA FOR THESE GRANTS:

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 council 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

Name Appleshaw Village Hall Charity

Consultation The local member, Councillor Mrs West, has been consulted.

Project Resurfacing Village Hall Car Park

Cost £7,638

General Reserves £8,574

Project Reserves £3,475

Statement This project will allow the resurfacing of the village hall car park which is currently very uneven causing a potential hazard. The current aggregate surface also means that in heavy rainfall, stones are washed off the surface and block the drains. This causes flooding at the entrance to both the car park and building, again causing a health and safety risk.

Partnership Funding Test Valley Borough Council £1,642

Recommendation £2,546 as one third of project cost.

Name Cheriton Village Hall

Consultation The local member, Councillor Mrs Hindson, has been consulted.

Project Toilet for use by people with disabilities and wheel chair ramp to main hall entrance

Upgrade male and female toilets to meet Health and safety regulations

Cost £17,200

General Reserves £8,300

Project Reserves £5,000

Statement This much loved hall is almost 100 years old and this current phase of work will make the hall fully accessible and help to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act. Access to the current toilets by wheelchair users is virtually impossible and also extremely difficult for those with walking frames. Access to the hall is similarly arduous.

Partnership Funding Winchester City Council £5,000(Jan 09)

Cheriton Parish Council £2,500

Recommendation Up to £3,750 as 50% of combined district and parish contributions.

Name Colonel Jenkins Memorial Hall, Wherwell

Consultation The local member, Councillor Woodhall, has been consulted.

Project Internal Refurbishment of Village Hall

Cost £24,494

General Reserves £10,000

Project Reserves £7,000

Statement This project will mean that the internal aspects of the village hall are able to be refurbished. This includes the kitchen, toilets and flooring as well as redecoration.

The hall is in need of modernisation as the toilets and kitchen are original and have not had any refurbishment carried out since the hall was built in the 1950's.

Partnership Funding Test Valley Borough Council £9,052

Wherwell Parish Council £2,250

Recommendation £5,651 as 50% of combined district and parish council contributions.

Name Hayling Island Community Centre

Consultation The local member, Councillor Gale, has been consulted.

Project Sanding and sealing of main hall floor

Cost £5,388

General Reserves £2,000

Project Reserves £2,000

Statement Despite regular maintenance, the main sports hall floor within the community centre has perished with age and is now presenting a health and safety risk as it is peeling causing a potential trip hazard. A grant would help for this situation to be rectified and if necessary new court lines painted.

Partnership Funding None

Recommendation £1,796 as one third of project cost

Name Highclere Village Hall

Consultation The local member, Councillor Maxwell, has been consulted.

Project To Expand the Car Park and Improve Access to the Site

Cost £41,125

General Reserves £31,000

Project Reserves £15,000

Statement This project will expand the car park and improve a narrow track beside the building in order to improve access to the hall and prevent congestion outside the hall and on the adjacent road in peak periods.

Partnership Funding Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council £10,000

Recommendation £5,000 as 50% of combined district and parish council contribution.

Name Kings Somborne Village Hall

Consultation The local member, Councillor Woodhall, has been consulted.

Project To refurbish the current kitchen area and improve access

Cost £33,063

General Reserves £14,725

Project Reserves £8,266

Statement This project will expand the kitchen area and ensure it is refurbished to a high standard ensuring adequate access to the facilities for all. This will help to attract new users and expand the range of activities the hall currently provides.

Partnership Funding Kings Somborne Parish Council £4,132

Test Valley Borough Council £11,725

Recommendation £7,928 as 50% of the combined district and parish council contributions.

Name Lockerley and East Dean War Memorial Hall

Consultation The local member, Councillor Woodhall, has been consulted.

Project To sand and reseal the main hall and reading room floors

Cost £3,750

General Reserves £1,907

Project Reserves £1,238

Statement This project will mean that the main hall and reading room floors can be sanded and resealed to ensure their prolonged usage and avoiding the need for a total floor replacement.

Partnership Funding Lockerley Parish Council - £468.75

Recommendation £1,250 as one third of project cost

Name South Wonston Village Hall

Consultation The local member, Councillor Mrs Bailey, has been consulted.

Project To improve the acoustics in the Main Hall

Cost £2,050

General Reserves £1,000

Project Reserves £1,000

Statement The village hall has recently had a hearing loop fitted, a grant for which has just been provided by Winchester City Council. Unfortunately, due to the acoustics in the hall, this will not work as effectively as possible. The acoustics in the hall also mean that some members have left organisations that use the hall due to not being able to properly hear speakers etc. This grant will pay for acoustic panelling to be erected in the hall in order to help alleviate this issue.

Partnership Funding South Wonston Parish Council - £100

Recommendation £683 as one third of project cost