Purpose

To award a Youth Grant funding in relation to Bradford on Avon Area Boardas follows: 

Young People’s Grant

ABG2023 – Mighty Girls CIC – £2,500 towards MG youth activities 2024 and 2025

Decision

To approve the grant set out in this report.

This decision was published on 10 December 2024 and will come into force on 18 December 2024.

Reasons for the decision

Bradford on Avon Area Board currently has four unitary Members. At its meeting on 20 November 2024 two of the Members were unable to attend, Cllr Sarah Gibson MP had Parliamentary work in London and unable to travel back for the Area Board meeting and Cllr Johnny Kidney had a family emergency and unable to attend the Area Board meeting at the last minute. The meeting was therefore inquorate and unable to take any formal decisions on grants or other matters.

The next scheduled meeting of the Area Board is 5 February 2025.

One of the three grant applications remaining to be determined is in excess of £1,000, which is beyond the limit of the delegation arrangements for Area Boards. It is therefore not possible for the Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Manager to take the decision to award all of the grants in consultation with the Members of the Area Board.

Whilst an extraordinary meeting could conceivably be arranged, it is not considered a practical or reasonable option to arrange what would be a very short meeting solely for the purposes of considering the grant application.

Given the lack of quoracy at the meeting on 20 November 2024 was through no fault of the Members of the Area Board, the lengthy gap until the next scheduled meeting, and the potential negative impact on local projects if the decision is not made, the Leader has agreed to take the decision under his executive authority. In general, simply not determining applications in time for a specific meeting would not justify taking the decision through alternative means.

Alternative options considered

To determine the decision at the next scheduled meeting of the Area Board or the Leader to determine the decision following consultation with the Area Board Members.