The Outer East Community Committee met to discuss the Outer East Community Committee Forward Plan 2025/26, receive an update on the Community Committee Youth Summit and Youth Activity Fund Consultation, and to discuss the Outer East Community Committee Finance Report. The committee agreed on how delegated budgets will be allocated and spent across the committee area in 2025/26, and also agreed on the 'minimum conditions' to be satisfied before a delegated decision can be made by an officer. The committee determined Wellbeing Budget and Youth Activities Fund grant applications, and noted details of the Wellbeing Fund budget position, the Youth Activities Fund budget position, projects approved via Delegated Decision, and Community Committee declined projects.

Community Committee Finance Report

The Outer East Community Committee reviewed the Finance Report, which provided an update on the budget position for the Wellbeing Fund and Youth Activity Fund for 2025/26.

Each Community Committee is allocated a Wellbeing Budget (revenue and capital) and Youth Activities Fund to support projects that contribute towards the delivery of local priorities. Funding cannot be paid retrospectively, so an application form must be approved before activities are completed or items purchased. The amount of funding each committee receives is calculated using a formula that takes into account the population and deprivation of the area.

Capital injections are provided as a result of council assets being sold, with 5% of the sale price (up to £100,000) pooled city-wide and redistributed to Community Committee areas based on deprivation. Each Community Committee is also responsible for deciding how to spend its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Budget¹.

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, the EU's State Aid rules no longer apply, and the UK has developed its own domestic subsidy control regime, the Subsidy Control Act 2022. A 'subsidy control' assessment will now be undertaken on all funding requests received by the Community Committees.

Projects eligible for funding could include community events, environmental improvements, crime prevention initiatives, or opportunities for sport and healthy activities. Funds cannot be used to support an organisation's regular business running costs, promote political or religious viewpoints, or support projects which directly result in the business interests of any members of the organisation making a profit.

The committee agreed on how its delegated budgets will be allocated and spent across the committee area in 2025/26, and also agreed on the 'minimum conditions' to be satisfied before a delegated decision can be made by an officer:

• Prior to an urgent delegated decision being taken by an authorised officer, consultation will be undertaken with all Members of the Community Committee
• Following Member consultation, an urgent delegated decision must have majority support from all Community Committee Members prior to it being taken, otherwise the matter will be submitted to the next Community Committee meeting for determination by the committee
• Following an urgent delegated decision being taken by an authorised officer, details of that delegated decision taken will be reported to the next available Community Committee meeting for Members' information.
• Given the urgent nature for delegated decisions, responses from committee Members will be sought within 5 working days.

The committee was asked to consider several Wellbeing Fund grant applications:

• Christmas Trees & Lights 2025: £6,838 was requested from CIL funding to support the delivery of Christmas trees and lights in Crossgates & Whinmoor and Temple Newsam.
• TNCP Cluster Summer Holiday Activity Programme 2025: Red Kite Learning Trust requested £2,854.31 from Wellbeing funding towards the £5,000 total cost of delivering various activities for young people, including trips, in Temple Newsam.
• Remark disabled parking spaces – Swarcliffe Community Centre: £350 was requested from Wellbeing funding to remark the disabled parking spaces at the Swarcliffe Community Centre in Crossgates & Whinmoor.
• Leeds Outer East Crime Reduction Darker Nights 25 to Lighter Nights 26: West Yorkshire Police Outer East NPT requested £2,266 from Wellbeing funding to purchase anti-burglary equipment to be given to residents in the Outer East at events.
• TLA Biodiversity Assessment: £12,150 was requested from CIL funding to pay for a Biodiversity Assessment at Temple Learning Academy. The assessment is part of a planning permission application to create a community hub in the grounds of the school.

The committee was also asked to consider several Youth Activity Fund grant applications:

• The Youth Association: £5,618 was requested to deliver regular sports sessions for marginalised young people aged 13-19 from the Halton Moor area.
• West Leeds Activity Centre Motorbike Project: £1,176.19 was requested to restart the motorbike programme, which is popular with children and young people from social care, at risk of offending, and from challenging estates across the city.

The committee noted that since 24 June 2025, no projects have been considered and approved by Delegated Decision Notice (DDN), and no projects have been declined.

Community Committee Youth Summit/Youth Activity Fund Consultation Report

The Outer East Community Committee received an update on the Community Committee Youth Summit and Youth Activity Fund Consultation, and were asked to consider how consultation with young people informs the Youth Activity Fund spend for the 2025/26 financial year.

Each Community Committee has been allocated a Youth Activity Fund to provide local activities for children and young people aged 8-17 years. The Youth Activity Fund requires the engagement and participation of children and young people in the decision making and evaluation of the fund.

Youth Summits are an opportunity for young people to learn about local democracy and influence the decision making of the Youth Activity Fund.

The aims and objectives from the Youth Summits and Youth Activity Fund Consultation are:

• Age range of young people 8-17 years
• Opportunity to learn about local democracy & take part in the decision-making process/influence Youth Activity Fund Budget spend for the Community Committees
• Promote the Youth Council and the various Youth Matters Groups throughout the city
• Build relationships with schools/partners and provide an opportunity for networking
• Consult with as many young people as possible (hybrid approach) by ensuring that alongside the Youth Summits, other YAF consultation is coordinated (i.e., via online consultation/Breeze Summer Events)
• Ensure engagement with a diverse range of young people from different backgrounds
• Provide feedback on Youth Summits/other consultation methods via a You Said, We Did Youth Summit Report

The standardised baseline for all Youth Summits/ Youth Activity Fund consultation is measured by:

• How many young people have been involved in the physical summits?
• How many young people have been involved in other forms of Youth Activity Fund consultation?
• How many schools/organisations have been involved in bringing young people along to the Youth Summits and/or involved in any other consultation?
• How many projects have been funded, or proactively commissioned from the Youth Activity Fund Budget as a result of the Youth Summits/and or Youth Activity Fund consultation?
• Has the You Said, We Did Youth Summit Report been prepared and delivered?

The wards that made up the new Outer East Community Committee received 278 survey responses to the Youth Activity Fund Consultation Survey. The consultation survey ran from October 2024 until 31 March 2025, with the feedback from young people collated to inform the Youth Activity Fund Budget spend for 2025/26.

Key facts and figures from the Youth Activity Fund Consultation:

• 278 young people have been involved in the Youth Activity Fund consultation.
• 9 projects have been funded or proactively commissioned from the Youth Activity Fund Budget as a result of the Youth Activity Fund consultation.

The consultation surveys submitted by young people suggest the following Youth Activity Fund priorities for 2025/26:

• Youth activities on offer mostly at local venues such as community centres, youth clubs and sport centres and the majority voted for outdoor activities.
• Majority of provision taking place regularly after school and the school holidays.
• Ensure the activities are fun, active and create new friendships. Good quality staff should be delivering the events.

Popular activities included sport, outdoor adventures, cooking, arts & crafts, and mixed activity fun days.

It is recommended that any projects funded by the Outer East Community Committee from the Youth Activity Fund focus on these key themes and activities in 2025/26.

Outer East Community Committee Forward Plan 2025/26

The Outer East Community Committee received the Outer East Community Committee Forward Plan 2025/26. The plan details the agreed Community Committee meeting dates, sets out Champion themes, and provides an update on engagement activity with local communities. The report also highlights the role of the Community Committee Champions and the work of the Community Committee in relation to the Council Constitution and associated delegations which are managed through its delivery group structure.

Leeds City Council has a constitution which sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made, and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent, and accountable to local people. Community Committees are an established structure through which formal decision making takes place at a local level, involving all of the councillors from the wards within each committee area.

Community Committees are responsible for the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund, Capital Budget, and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Neighbourhood Fund.

The appointment of Champions to specific themes provides clearer role responsibility to elected members and enables more focussed outcomes through relevant work programmes. The agreed Champion themes are:

• Children's Services - Champion: Councillor Michael Millar
• Community Safety - Champion: Councillor Pauleen Grahame
• Environment - Champion: Councillor Jessica Lennox
• Health, Wellbeing & Adult Social Care - Champion: Councillor James Gibson

Champions will drive the work of the Community Committee through themed Delivery Groups, whilst providing local leadership for each theme. Champions will also be a vital link with services, working closely with service leads and the relevant Executive Member to drive local engagement and improvements to deliver positive outcomes for communities.

The council also supports locality working within six priority wards as an essential component of work within Safer Stronger Communities.

The draft Forward Plan is included as an appendix. Members were asked to consider the Forward Plan and agree themes and champions for the municipal year 2025/26.