Agenda item

To consider the following applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme, as follows:

 

Area Board Initiative - Royal Wootton Basset and Cricklade Environment Action Group requesting £4,095 towards Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade, clean up the community area.

 

Purton Silver Threads requesting £4,000 towards a new entrance and fire doors for their hall.

 

Purton Tennis Club requesting £4,776 towards court repainting.

 

Broad Hinton Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council requesting £4,750 towards installation of footpath on amenity land in Pitchens End, Broad Hinton.

 

The Cricklade High Street Strategy Group requesting £5,000 towards Economic Recovery to support tourism in Cricklade.

 

Cricklade BowlsClub requesting £1,000 towards installing disabled access.

 

To consider the following applications to the Youth Grants Scheme, as follows:

 

 

Cricklade Town Council requesting £6,000 towards a Local Youth Network.

 

CrickladeLeisure Centre requesting £1,500 towards Cricklade Leisure Centre Trampoline Club.

 

 

Members considered applications to the Community Area Grants Scheme as detailed in the agenda pack.

 

Area Board Initiative, £4,095 towards RWB&C Clean up the Community Area

 

Cllr Steve Bucknell introduced the scheme explaining that the money would be put towards helping to provide equipment the Great British Spring Clean, as well as other future litter picking events across the Area Board. He explained that there had been a reduction in the amount being requested to £2,205 so that equipment would match the identified need.

 

Decision

 

To grant £2,205 towards RWB&C Clean up the Community Area.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Purton Silver Threads requesting £4,000 towards a new entrance and fire doors for the Silver Threads Hall

 

Lindsey from Purton Sliver Threads spoke in favour of their application, noting that they were a club for over 60s and that they owned a community hall. The hall was used by a number of other groups, so was a wider community asset. She explained that their current fire doors were wooden and in poor condition so represented a security risk. Cllr Ray Thomas, Chairman of Purton Parish Council, stated that the parish council supported the scheme.

 

During the discussion members welcomed the support of the parish council. Members also stated that they were satisfied that an upgrade to plastic doors would constitute capital, rather than maintenance, spending.

 

Decision

 

To award Purton Silver Threads £4,000 towards a new entrance and fire doors for the Silver Threads Hall.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Purton Tennis Club requesting £4,776 towards court repainting

 

Lindsey also spoke on behalf of the application by Purton Tennis Club. It was explained that there were four courts and that the cost to resurface them was approximately £25,000. Work would have to be carried out by a specialist company approved by the Lawn Tennis Association. The club’s finances had also been impacted by Covid and changes to rental charges.

 

During the discussion members welcomed the scheme but questioned whether much of the scheme would be described as maintenance rather that capital expenditure. As community area grant funding could only be allocated to capital funding, members felt that they would be more comfortable awarding a lower amount and specifying that it could only be used for the upgrade elements of the project.

 

Decision

 

To award Purton Tennis Club £3,000 towards the upgrade elements of their tennis court refurbishment project.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council requesting £4,750 towards the installation of a footpath on amenity land in Pitchens End, Broad Hinton

 

A representative spoke in favour of their scheme noting that they had asked to extend an existing footpath across Wiltshire Council owned land. The grassed amenity area was difficult to access for less mobile residents, especially in the winter months. Chairman of Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council, Cllr Alex LaRoche, explained that the existing arrangement was a safety issue often raised by residents. She explained that alternative routes were not viable due to lighting and that the total cost would be approximately £12,000.

 

Decision

 

To award Broad Hinton and Winterbourne Bassett Parish Council £4,750 towards the installation of a footpath on amenity land in Pitchens End, Broad Hinton.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

The Cricklade High Street Strategy Group requesting £5,000 towards economic recovery to support tourism in Cricklade

 

The Vice-Chairman spoke in favour of the scheme. He noted that he was a director of Cricklade Development Foundation and a member of Cricklade Town Council, organisations working closely with the strategy group. The foundation had identified that the majority of visitors to the town came on a journey of under an hour and were interested in a range of activities. He noted that around 20 different leaflets were available from organisations across the town, but many were now out of date. The strategy group wished to produce an app so that details of everything that was on offer was easily accessible.

 

The Vice-Chairman did not vote on the grant application.

 

 

Decision

 

To award the Cricklade High Street Strategy Group £5,000 towards economic recovery to support tourism in Cricklade.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Cricklade Bowls Club requesting £1,000 towards the construction of disabled access

 

Tony Clements from Cricklade Bowls Cub spoke in favour of their application. He explained that they were also a skittles club and were known for their hospitality, hosting around 100 to 200 people each week in the summer months. The club offered a social membership as well as a playing membership. The current access was via steep steps so was not suitable for disabled people. He stated that he did not expect the changes to require planning permission and that a number of their members were builders, so costs could be kept to a minimum.

 

Decision

 

To award Cricklade Bowls Club £1,000 towards the construction of disabled access.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.

 

 

Members then considered applications to the Youth Grants Scheme as detailed in the agenda pack.

 

Cricklade Town Council requesting £6,000 towards Cricklade Local Youth Network

 

Cllr Angela Jensen, Vice-Chairman of Cricklade Town Council, explained that they had been working with the Rise Trust (Youth). She stated that the town council had committed funding to the project and worked with young people, helping to signpost them to additional support.

 

Decision

 

To award Cricklade Town Council £6,000 towards Cricklade Local Youth Network.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22. Although in excess of £5,000 this grant was felt to be an exceptional case as it aligned with the Area Board’s action plan to improve local youth service provision.

 

Cricklade Leisure Centre requesting £1,500 towards their trampoline club

 

The manager of Cricklade Leisure Centre spoke in favour of their application. She stated that they had found a gymnastics instructor interested in working with them but that they did not currently have a trampoline. She stated that gymnastics was very popular with local children.

 

Members welcomed the efforts of the leisure centre to diversify the services on offer. During the discussion questions arose about how the service would compete with similar clubs in Swindon as well as Lime Kiln Leisure Centre in Royal Wootton Bassett. It was reported that Cricklade Leisure Centre would run competitions and that it would be more accessible for local people than alternatives in other towns.

 

Decision

 

To award Cricklade Leisure Centre £1,500 towards their trampoline club.

 

Reason

The application met funding criteria for 2021/22.