Agenda item

9.

NORTHERN ASSEMBLY DISCRETIONARY BUDGET – REALLOCATION OF FUNDING

The Community Assembly Manager submitted a report containing proposals to reallocate funding from the Assembly’s Discretionary Budget 2012/13.

9.1

Decision Taken

RESOLVED: That the Northern Community Assembly:-

(a)

notes the information contained within the report and reallocates the following sums from Northern Community Assembly Discretionary funds:-

·           Previously agreed Ward Pot budget reduced from £36,000 to £10,000 (£2,500 per Ward)

·           £26,000 from Ward Pot funding reallocated towards Small Grants Projects (increasing Small Grants pot from £20,000 to £46,000)

(b)

authorises the Northern Community Assembly Manager, in consultation with the Chair of the Assembly and also, in the case of the Ward Pot funding, with the relevant Ward Members, to agree the allocation of funds from the Ward Pot and Small Grants budgets; and

(c)

authorises the Director of Community Services, in consultation with the Director of Legal Services, to agree the terms on which all funding referred to in the report is made available and to enter into such funding agreements with recipients of the funding and any other related agreements or arrangements, and on such terms, that she considers appropriate.

9.2

Reasons For The Decision

The reallocation of funding is being recommended for two reasons:-

(a)   The Northern Community Assembly has received more Small Grants applications in the first round of grants than the Assembly team had anticipated for the full year. 40 applications received for the first round of funding totalling more than £33,000.  The total budget for the year is £20,000.

(b)   Cabinet has now confirmed that each Assembly have been allocated a Highways budget of £40,000.  This means that any Highways scheme requests can be considered for funding from this budget rather than the Ward pot.

9.3

Alternative Options Considered

Alternative options to running a Small Grants fund and Ward Pot were outlined within the report considered at the Assembly meeting in March 2012. An alternative option to the current proposal which has been considered is to adhere to the original Ward Pot and Small Grants allocation as agreed at the Assembly meeting on the 27^th March 2012.