Agenda item

The Chairman to provide an update on the Area Board budget.

Community Area Grants

Councillors will be asked to consider the Community Grant Reports (attached) and vote on the following applications:

a.   Shaw and Whitley Pre School - £4,000 towards the cost of creating an outside classroom/play area and wildlife conservation area.

b.   Melksham Without Parish Council - £1,190 for the purchase of a speed indication device.

c.    Melksham Town Council - £974 to improve the street scene of Melksham High Street by erecting window graphic in empty shops in the town centre.

d.   Melksham Town Council - £3,000 towards the costs of the Melksham Food and Drink Festival.

e.   Melksham Town Council - £1,000 towards the costs of a play day.

f.  Melksham Town Council - £980 for improvements to signage in the Melksham shopping centre and car parks.

g.   Seend Play Group - £5,000 towards the refurbishment of the Lye Field Playground which Seend Play Group uses.

h.    InfoZone the Homework Club - £2,889 towards salary costs.

Performance Reward Grants Scheme

The Chairman to provide an update of applications submitted so far.

Splash – School holiday activities for vulnerable young people.

To ask Councillors to consider eight applications seeking 2009/10 Community Area Grant Funding:

Mrs J Savage addressed the Area Board on behalf of the Seend Play Group.

1.      Shaw and Whitley Pre School - applied for a grant of £4000 towards the cost of creating an outside classroom/ play area and wildlife conservation area.  This application was deferred until planning permission was granted and land use was determined.

2.      Melksham Without Parish Council - applied for a grant of £1190 for the purchase of a speed indication device.  Funding was refused, as access to such equipment is available via the Community Speedwatch Scheme.

3.      Melksham Town Council - awarded £974 to improve the street scene of Melksham High Street by erecting window graphic in empty shops in the town centre.

4.      Melksham Town Council – awarded £1000 towards the costs of the Melksham Food and Drink Festival. 

5.      Melksham Town Council – awarded £800 towards the costs of a Play Day. 

6.      Melksham Town Council – awarded £980 for improvements to signage in Melksham shopping centre and car parks. 

7.      Seend Play Group - applied for a grant of £5000 towards the refurbishment of The Lye Field Playground which Seend Playgroup uses.

The application was deferred until the 24 March meeting, in order that Wiltshire Council Play officers can meet with the play group to discuss options for equipment.

8.      InfoZone the Homework Club – awarded £2889 towards salary costs. 

Performance Reward Grant Scheme

The Chairman advised that there were two applications seeking Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding, these would be discussed at a future meeting.

The two applications were:

·        Semington sports field and facilities.

·        Steeple Ashton sports pavilion.

Splash - Performance Reward Grant application

Jayne Moverley – of Splash, (School holiday activities for vulnerable young people) gave a brief presentation of why her organisation had requested Performance Reward Grant Scheme funding.

Points made included:

• Splash was an independent charity that received no core funding only support from Wiltshire Police.

• The charity made a real difference to the lives of vulnerable young people across Wiltshire.

Decision

That the Melksham Area Board endorses the Performance Reward Grant application from Splash of £29,700.

The Chairman thanked Jayne Moverley for her presentation.

The Chairman introduced Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, (Wiltshire Council cabinet member for Finance, Performance and Risk) for her comments on the meeting.

Points made included:

·        Good to see an Area Board in a rural location.

·        Some interesting topics on the agenda, particularly the proposed Wilts & Berks canal project.

·        The Wiltshire Council budget setting for the coming financial year was nearly finalised, but that next year’s budget would be a much harder one to set.

The Chairman thanked Cllr de Rhe-Philipe for attending the meeting.