Decision details

6.       SOUTH WEST LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE SPEND 2022/23

6.1      The South West Local Area Committee (LAC) Manager submitted a report containing details of the spend of the £100,000 allocated to the Committee, and which has been authorised by the Community Services Manager, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, and in accordance with the delegation granted in September, 2021.      

6.2      The report set out details of the anticipated expenditure and actual expenditure to date under the three key priority areas highlighted in the South West LAC Community Plan approved by the Committee at its meeting held on 17th March, 2022 – Transport and Highways, Local Environment and Community and Neighbourhoods.

6.3      The report indicated that any surplus for reallocation, as detailed in the report, together with any additional underspend of funds would be added to the South West LAC outstanding balance, and used to fund grants for organisations and groups in the wards of Crookes and Crosspool, Dore and Totley, Ecclesall and Fulwood, to deliver activities and projects that achieve against the key priorities highlighted in the Community Plan, but do not necessarily fall within the specified elements.

6.4      RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

          (a)      notes the expenditure against the £100,000 budget to address local priorities in the South West LAC in 2022/3, as detailed in the report now submitted;

          (b)      agrees that (i) the surplus for reallocation identified in the report and any underspend of funds is added to the outstanding balance and used to fund grants for organisations and groups to address local priorities in the South West LAC Community Plan 2022/23, as described in the report now submitted, with priority being given for funding to be specifically targeted towards projects/activities that help those people impacted by the Cost of Living Crisis and (ii) the LAC Team, in consultation with Members, undertake project and delivery scoping works in this regard;

          (c)      requests Highways Officers to look at prioritising up to £10,000 from the Transport and Highways budget heading towards the implementation of traffic and highways measures to safeguard the Totley Deli and Café, Baslow Road, which has just been damaged for the second time in a short period by a car crashing into the building; and

          (d)      to the extent that it is not covered by existing authority, authorises the Community Services Manager, having first consulted with Ward Councillors on the grant applications, to determine how the grant funds described in the report are spent and make awards of grants, provided that:

          •         The decision is taken in consultation with the Local Area Committee Chair,

          •         The decision may not approve expenditure on any element in excess of the anticipated limit for that element set out in the report, and

          •         A report detailing the delegated spending decisions taken by the Community Services Manager is presented to the next Local Area Committee meeting.

6.5.    Reasons for Decision

6.5.1 The South West LAC is asked to note the use of funding as per previous decision of September 2021. 

6.5.2 The South West LAC is asked to agree the allocation of underspent budget to fund grants that will deliver projects and activities by organisations and groups to address key priority areas identified in the SW Community Plan.

6.6     Alternatives Considered and Rejected

6.6.1 Other lower priority actions in the Community Plan were considered to profile anticipated spending against, but the deliverable actions were not considered achievable within the remaining 3 months of 2022/23.  This would also limit the ability for community organisations and groups to be involved to deliver projects and activities across the breadth of the key priorities identified.5