Issue - meetings

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor David Kerr)

Report of the Budget & Performance Panel.  

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor David Kerr)

(Councillors June Ashworth and John Gilbert had declared prejudicial interests in the following item due to them being representatives on the Lancaster and Morecambe Citizens Advice Bureaux respectively and left the meeting prior to consideration thereof.) 

(Councillor Jim Blakely, in his capacity as Chairman of the Budget and Performance Panel, presented the report in accordance with Cabinet Procedure Rule 2.6). 

Cabinet considered the recommendations submitted by the Budget and Performance Panel regarding grants to voluntary organisations as part of the budget process. 

A supplementary report advising of the recommendations of the Budget and Performance Panel had been circulated prior to the meeting. 

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment, were set out in the report as follows: 

(1)         To agree future funding and Service Level Agreements for 3 years on the same basis as currently for 2008 - 2011.

(2)         To agree funding and Service Level Agreements on a revised basis.

(3)         To discontinue funding and Service Level Agreements.

Option 1 above will have advantages in that renewing Service Level Agreements for a further 3 years will provide continuity, maintain good working relationships with local organisations and assist with the achievement of Council priorities.  Granting a 3 year agreement provides certainty of funding to the voluntary organisations to enable them to plan the provision of services more effectively. 

However, there are disadvantages in that tying the Council into an arrangement for a 3 year period could exclude other interested parties and limit the Council’s choice for future years and for this reason Members may wish to consider Option (2) and offer funding for a shorter period of time.  The risk in this instance is that it is less likely that organisations would agree to the provisions of a Service Level Agreement without the certainty of future funding. 

Members of the Budget and Performance Panel have spent some time interviewing representatives of each organisation and considering past performance on existing agreements.  Recommendations include variations to the service level agreements and level of funding where appropriate. 

Option 3 will provide savings in respect of any Service Level Agreements and associated funding which are discontinued. 

Whilst there are risks associated with the commitment of funds to voluntary organisations, the signing of a Service Level Agreement and the revised and improved monitoring procedure introduced following the report of the Grants Task Group (approved by Cabinet on 27^th July 2007) will provide some mitigation to the level of risk. 

It was moved by Councillor Roger Mace and seconded by Councillor David Kerr: -

“That the recommendations, as set out in the supplementary report, be approved, and further that Cabinet ends the system of free parking permits to outside bodies.” 

By way of amendment it was moved by Councillor Tony Johnson and seconded by Councillor Roger Mace: -

“That the following resolution replaces recommendations (5) and (6):

(5)     That Cabinet approve the proposed grant awards for Lancaster and Morecambe CABs, as recommended by the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94