Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee 1 on Tuesday, 1st February, 2022,

The Executive Member for Homes and Communities outlined the work undertaken by the Voluntary Sector Funding Task and Finish Group and thanked all those organisations that took part. In light of the feedback, to reflect current circumstances and maintain funding key services he did not recommend that Executive follow all the proposals put forward.

He informed Executive of the changes proposed to the recommendations:-

·       The Council retained equivalent funding as 2021/22 for at least the next 2 years  for those organisations with current SLAs, the Citizens Advice Bureaux, Teignbridge Council for Voluntary Services, East Teignbridge Community Transport and Newton Abbot Community Transport.  However, the small grant to Carn to Cove (*) will stop

·       to retain the existing supportive rent subsidy Scheme for 2021/22 for at least the next 2 years;

·       to balance the budget the deletion of: the re-introduction of rural aid at £26,000 for 2022/23; and a provision for voluntary and community sector small grant scheme for 2022/23.

The Leader proposed that the funding proposals should be for one year to reflect the uncertainty in Central Government funding going forward and that the rent subsidy should be subject to a satisfactory application.

Members agreed to these amendments.

RESOLVED that:-

(1)            The Policy statement be adopted;

(2)            that the Council retains equivalent funding as 2021/22 for the next year for those organisations with current Service LAs, the Citizens Advice Bureaux, Teignbridge Council for Voluntary Services, East Teignbridge Community Transport and Newton Abbot Community Transport.  However, the small grant to Carn to Cove (*) will stop;

(3)            to retain the supportive rent subsidy scheme for the next financial year subject to a satisfactory application;

(4)            to increase the Councillors Community Fund for each councillor by £200 a year to £1200 from April, for the 2022/23 financial year.;

(5)            A task and finish group is convened to carry out a full review of the Business Rates Discretionary Relief policy and take recommendations to a future O&S meeting specifically relating to charity shops;

(6)            Teignbridge voluntary sector funding programme be reported to Overview and Scrutiny on an annual basis;

(7)            Crowdfunding is no longer supported as organisations can be encouraged to raise funds through the lottery;

(8)            Work with Town and Parish Councils to understand how they are supporting the voluntary sector;

(9)            To work with any organisations impacted by the proposal to encourage them to utilise the alternative funding streams available;

(10)        Climate change mitigation and environmental and bio diversification be added to paragraph 4.2.1 of the agenda report.

The vote was unanimous.