The Inner East Community Committee met to discuss the Inner East Community Committee Forward Plan for 2025/26, and to review the budget position for the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund, Capital (CRIS) Budget, and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Budget for 2025/26.

Inner East Community Committee Forward Plan 2025/26

The Inner East Community Committee was scheduled to consider the Inner East Community Committee Forward Plan for 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.

The agreed Champion themes are:

• Children's Services
• Community Safety
• Environment
• Health, Wellbeing & Adult Social Care

The council also supports locality working within six priority wards as an essential component of work within Safer Stronger Communities. These six priority wards are: Armley, Beeston & Holbeck, Burmantofts & Richmond Hill, Gipton & Harehills, Hunslet & Riverside, and Killingbeck & Seacroft.

Inner East Community Committee: Finance Report

The Inner East Community Committee was scheduled to receive an update on the budget position for the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund, Capital (CRIS) Budget, as well as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Budget for 2025/26.

Each Community Committee has been allocated a Wellbeing Budget (revenue and capital) and Youth Activities Fund, which it is responsible for administering. The aim of these budgets is to support the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the committee area and provide a range of activities for children and young people, by using the funding to support projects that contribute towards the delivery of local priorities.

Capital (CRIS) injections are provided as a result of council assets being sold. 5% of the sale price (up to a maximum of £100k) of a council asset is pooled city-wide and redistributed to the Community Committee areas on the basis of deprivation. The Community Committee budget receives a new capital injection every 6 months.

Each Community Committee is also responsible for deciding how to spend its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Budget. For each CIL contribution generated, Leeds City Council retains between 70-80% centrally, 5% is needed for administration costs and between 15- 25% is ring fenced as a 'neighbourhood fund' to be spent in the area which gererated the development. The money is passed to the local Town or Parish Council if there is one, or if not, to the relevant Community Committee, with spend decided upon by that body. This 'neighbourhood fund' should be spent on infrastructure which supports the development of the area e.g.similar projects to the Wellbeing Fund (capital or revenue). The Community Committee budget receives a new capital injection every 6 months.

Until the UK left the European Union, the EU's State Aid rules controlled how UK and discretionary EU funding was provided to enterprises and entities that engage in economic activities. Now the UK has left the EU, it is no longer bound by the State Aid rules and has developed its own domestic subsidy control regime, The Subsidy Control Act 2022. As the Subsidy Control Act 2022 has potential implications for the Community Committees as funding bodies, a 'subsidy control' assessment will be undertaken on all funding requests received by the Community Committees.

Projects eligible for funding via Community Committee funding streams could be community events; environmental improvements; crime prevention initiatives, or opportunities for sport and healthy activities for all ages. In line with the Equality Act 2010, projects funded at public expense should provide services to citizens irrespective of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

The Inner East Community Committee agreed at the committee meeting on the 26th June 2025 to allocate its delegated budgets for 2025/26 on a ward by ward basis; these are the Wellbeing Fund, Youth Activity Fund, Capital (CRIS) Fund and Community Infrastructure Levy 'Neighbourhood Fund'.

Sometimes urgent decisions may need to be made in between formal Community Committee meetings regarding the administration of wellbeing and youth activity budgets, as well as the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) 'Neighbourhood Fund'. Alongside the committee, designated officers have delegated authority from the Director of Communities and Environment to take such decisions.

The Community Committee was scheduled to review the amended 'minimum conditions' below, in order to set conditions which must be satisfied before an officer's delegation can be exercised:

• Subject to c. below, prior to an urgent delegated decision being taken by an authorised officer, consultation will be undertaken with all Members of the Community Committee; and
• Subject to c. below 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;
• In relation to a small grant programme application, consultation will be undertaken only with Ward Members of the ward to which the application relates. Where Ward Members unanimously agree to support the application, it will be approved by the authorised officer. Where unanimous agreement is not achieved the application 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 total Wellbeing revenue budget approved by Executive Board for 2025/26 was £161,030 for the Inner East Community Committee. There was a carry forward figure of £227,309.43 which includes underspends from projects completed in 2024/25. £147,456.29 represents wellbeing allocated to projects in 2024/25 and not yet completed. The total revenue funding available to the Community Committee for 2025/26 is therefore £240,883.14. There is currently a remaining balance of £156,997.63.

The Community Committee was scheduled to consider the proposed ringfences set out below.

Members were asked to consider ringfencing an additional £1,000 to support Community Engagement Activities (Gipton & Harehills).

Members were asked to consider ringfencing £4,000 to support Bonfire Night Activities (Gipton & Harehills).

Members were asked to consider ringfencing £3,000 to support Christmas Activities (Gipton & Harehills).

Members were asked to consider ringfencing £4,000 (£1,000 per ward) to support the Inner East Youth Summit (Burmantofts & Richmond Hill, Gipton & Harehills, Killingbeck & Seacroft and Roundhay).

The following grant applications were presented for consideration:

• Burmantofts & Richmond Hill Christmas Lights and Trees - Leeds City Council - Safer Stronger Communities Team - £5,064 - To install festive lights and a cut tree in the Burmantofts & Richmond Hill ward.
• Roundhay Christmas Lights and Tree - Leeds City Council - Safer Stronger Communities Team - £7,164 - To install festive lights and a cut tree in the Roundhay ward.
• Foodbank and Warm Welcome - All Community Connect CIC - £2,500 - BRH: £2,175 and G&H: £200 - The grant would fund a weekly foodbank in Richmond Hill, providing essential support to vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness, financial hardship, isolation, or poor mental health.
• Yorkshire Dance - Yorkshire Dance Youth Company (YDYC) - £1,000 - Yorkshire Dance Youth Company (YDYC) is a free dance programme for up to 20 young people aged 10-18 based in Kentmere Community Centre.
• LACON 2025 – Leeds African Cup Of Nations Tournament - Nigerian Community Leeds - £1,500 (£750 per ward) - The purpose of this project is to run the annual LACON tournament (Leeds African Cup of Nations). The event brings together African and non-African communities alike from Leeds and its environs.
• Public Space CCTV Cameras – Inner East - Leedswatch - £5,000 - Ongoing costs for CCTV cameras in the ward. £1,000 per camera, per year.
• Zimbabwe Cooking Challenge - Zimbabwe West Yorkshire C.I.C - £1,919.50 - The Zimbabwe Cooking Challenge is an exciting cultural initiative designed to engage young people of Zimbabwean heritage living in Leeds. The project will use traditional Zimbabwean cooking as a creative, educational, and empowering tool to help young people connect with their cultural identity, build confidence, and celebrate their roots within the context of multicultural Britain.
• Fundraising event at the Irish Centre, Leeds - Yorkshire Cancer Community - £500 - The grant will be used towards the cost of a fundraising event at the Irish Centre in Leeds to raise funds to help the charity to continue it's vital work in helping people affected by cancer to get the best support possible.
• Gipton & Harehills Christmas Trees and Lights - Leeds City Council - Safer Stronger Communities Team - £17,681 - To install festive lights and a cut trees in the Gipton & Harehills ward.
• Junior Sports Hub - Family Fun Day - £300 - The grant will be used to organise a community Family Fun Day to raise money and awareness for those affected by the recent floods in Pakistan.
• Women Thrive - Elders United - £2,500 - The project consists of engaging with women for 6 months, with the activity being cricket. The venue is Bilal Sports Centre, 60 Ashton Road, Leeds LS8 5BZ.
• Arts and Sports Programme for children and young people - Gipton Together - £5,000 - Gipton Together will run after-school Performing Arts and Sport activities at the Henry Barran Community Centre.

The total available for spend in the Inner East Community Committee in 2025/26, including carry forward from previous year, was £76,857.22. To date in 2025/26, a total of £37,631.59 has been allocated to projects. There is a remaining balance of £39,225.63 in the Youth Activity Fund.

The following grant applications were presented for consideration:

• Umoja Play & Thrive Club Burmantofts & Richmond Hill - Umoja Leeds CIC - £6,500 - The Umoja Play & Thrive Club will be a free, year-round youth provision for children and young people aged 8 - 17 in Burmantofts & Richmond Hill, operating weekly during term time and three times per week during school holidays. Sessions will take place at Trinity Academy Leeds and Osmondthorpe Lane Center.
• Roots of Resilience: Free Activities & Mental Health Support for Local Children - Kidz Klub Leeds - £8,301.04 – BRH: £6,308.79 and G&H: £1,992.25 - The grant would fund frontline support for 433 children in Burmantofts, Richmond Hill, Gipton and Harehills through the following term time activities: Regular home visits and Family Support Work, Monthly Central Klub, Developing Young Leader, 2-night residential camp in the Yorkshire Dales
• LS9 CLUB - Inspiring Positive Futures - £9,275 - The grant will fund the LS9 Richmond Hill project for an additional year and expand the program to include after-school activities in East End Park.

The Inner East Community Committee has a Capital (CRIS) Budget and a Community Infrastructure Levy Budget available to spend, but the amounts were still to be confirmed.

Members were asked to consider ringfencing £7,500 to support Park Improvements (Roundhay).

The following grant applications were presented for consideration:

• Public Space CCTV Cameras Inner East - Leedswatch - £4,000 - Ongoing costs for CCTV cameras in the ward. £1,000 per camera, per year.
• Killingbeck & Seacroft Wooden Bench - Leeds City Council - Safer, Stronger Communities - £800 - Funding to the amount of £800 will be used for the purchase of a wooden memorial bench as identified by local elected members, with delivery to 1 LS14 address. Funding will also cover installation costs – removal of old bench and installation of new of (ready assembled) wooden bench at the same site, fixing the bench to the ground

Since the Inner East Community Committee on the 26 th June 2025 no projects have been approved by DDN¹.

Since the Inner East Community Committee on the 26th June 2025, the following projects have been either declined or not approved:

• Senior Connect, Sumangal £1,000
• Invest in Yourself Physical & Mental Wellbeing Conference, BM Wellbeing Village £1,975