Content

30.1

The Committee
considered a report of David Luck, Community Services Manager, on
the proposed allocation of fund to address local priorities for the
South East Local Area Committee (LAC)
for 2025-26.

 

 

30.2

The Community Services
Manager explained that due to underspend and return funds from
previous projects and years, it was recommended to allocated
£27,0000 towards the Environmental Stewardship
Project.

 

 

30.3

Councillor Gail Smith,
commented that the project had done an amazing job and had
completed jobs that otherwise would not had been completed such as refurbishing four benches
in Waterthorpe on Thorpe
Green.

 

 

30.4

Councillor Mick
Roobey, explained that the project did not only including work but
also part of an education was involved in the project.

 

 

30.5

RESOLVED: 
That the South East LAC:

Notes
the expenditure under delegated powers against the £100,000
budget for 2025/26 to address local priorities in the South East LAC as detailed in the
report.
Agrees
the award of further grant funding of £27,000 to continue to
fund the environmental stewardship team up to December 2026,
subject to the request to carry forward this amount to the 2026/27
LAC budget being approved by the Director of Finance and Commercial
Services.

 

 

30.6

Reasons for Decision

 

 

30.6.1

Spending decisions
made by the Community Services Manager under the authority
delegated by the LAC in September 2024 are required to be reported
to the next LAC meeting so that the LAC can monitor its delegated
budget and delivery of the Community Plan.

 

 

30.6.2

The further
expenditure under delegated authority outlined in the report
addresses the identified local priorities within the South East LAC Community Plan.

 

 

30.6.3

The proposed use of
funding of £27 000 to extend the Environmental Stewardship
Team will enable environmental work to be carried out across all
four wards within the South East Area to
support the priority themes of the Community Plan.

 

 

30.7

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

 

 

30.7.1

Decisions on all
expenditure could be reserved to the LAC
but this would inevitably delay delivery of priority actions to
address specific issues identified in the Community
Plan.
 

 

 

30.7.2

All decisions on
expenditure to support Community Plan priorities could be delegated
to officers. However, this would restrict and undermine the
LAC’s ability to monitor its delegated budget and delivery of
the Community Plan.