Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room

Contact: Email: committees@midsussex.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

1.

To note Substitutes in Accordance with Council Procedure Rule 4 - Substitutes at Meetings of Committees etc.

Minutes:

None as all Members were present.

 

2.

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

None as all Members were present.

 

3.

To receive Declaration of Interests from Members in respect of any matter on the Agenda.

Minutes:

None.

 

4.

To consider any items that the Chairman agrees to take as urgent business.

Minutes:

The Chairman confirmed that he had urgent business relating to two Community and Economic Development Grants applications.

 

The applications which were recommended for consideration and approval by the

Panel is set out below:

 

Organisation

Purpose for which award is sought

Award Requested

Award

Suggested

Mid Sussex Community Support Association

Core costs

£1,300

£1,000

Girlguiding Perrymount District, Haywards Heath

VE Day 75 celebrations

£250

£250

Total

 

£1,550

£1,250

 

Regina Choudhury, Community Development Officer, introduced the application from Mid Sussex Community Support Association which sought a grant of £1300. She outlined that the original application was deferred by the Panel in May 2019 as questions were raised over the funding and closed membership of the organisation. Officers have now taken a view that this group is a grass roots organisation that meets the needs of hard to reach individuals who may not necessarily be accessing mainstream organisations and resolved to grant them £1000 instead of the requested amount.

 

The Vice-Chairman highlighted that the funding equates to £100 per head which he felt too high. He enquired whether the organisation is building up their financial reserves.

 

The Community Development Officer confirmed that they are and noted that she has discussed the issue of repeat funding from the Council with them however she confirmed that she would support the organisation by helping them find alternative funding.

 

The Panel were supportive of the application.

 

The Community Development Officer introduced the application from Girlguiding Perrymount District, Haywards Heath which sought a grant of £250 to fund VE Day 75 celebrations. She highlighted that the date is likely to change due to the emerging Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

 

Tom Clark, Head of Regulatory Services, noted that the funding would still be allocated to that applicant should the date of their event change.

 

The Chairman suggested that the applicant email the Council approximately a month before they intend to hold the event so that payment can be arranged.

 

The Panel were supportive of the application.

 

RESOLVED

 

  1. That a Community and Economic Development Grant of £1,000 be awarded to Mid Sussex Community Support Association to deliver a drop-in club in Haywards Heath for people with mental health issues.

 

  1. That a Community and Economic Development Grant of £250 be awarded to Girlguiding Perrymount District, Haywards Heath to fund VE Day 75 celebrations.

 

5.

To receive representations from Members of the Council on the applications.

Minutes:

None.

6.

Storefront Grant Scheme pdf icon PDF 226 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Mark Healy, Regeneration & Economy Programme Manager, introduced the applications which, if approved, would allocate all remaining funding in the MSDC Micro Business Grant budget 2019/20. He considered both applications of good merit however the funding would not meet the requirements of their individual requests. Officers would be content with taking the remainder of funding in the existing Micro Business Grant budget 2019/20 however it would only yield a total of £6,723.67. He noted that the cost of granting both applications could be met if the remainder is funded through the MSDC Micro Business Grant budget for 2020/21 as well as 2019/20. He confirmed that he is currently in discussion with officers at West Sussex County Council to see whether they approve of the transfer.

 

Tom Clark, Head of Regulatory Services, questioned if all the other applications in Storefront Improvement Grant Scheme are going ahead.

 

The Regeneration & Economy Programme Manager confirmed that many have been issued and completed. He asked his colleague for the exact figure of applications that were currently underway.

 

 

William Hawkins, Economic Development Officer, stated that there were three applications underway and believed that they will all be completed soon.

 

Tom Clark, Head of Regulatory Services, suggested that the Panel could agree to grant the full request subject to the available funding. If the funding were not available, the Panel could then subsequently grant the remainder of the balance split between the two applicants.

 

The Panel were supportive of the Head of Regulatory Services’ proposal.

 

The Economic Development Officer then presented the report which outlined two applications for the Storefront Improvement Grant Scheme.

 

The applications which were recommended for consideration and approval by the

Panel are set out below:

 

Organisation

Purpose for which award is

Sought

Award requested

Award

suggested

Flinders Coffee

Replacement door, signage and exterior improvements

£4,000

n/a1

Upmarket22

Renovation of new storefront

£4,000

n/a1

Total

 

£8,000

£8,000

 

The Economic Development Officer presented the application from Flinders Coffee which sought a grant of £4,000 to replace the existing door and surround along with new signage to improve external storefront look.

 

The Vice-Chairman raised his concerns that the Café has not been open long and felt that the signage may have originally been done on a budget however he was content with supporting the application.

 

The Panel were supportive of the application.

 

The Economic Development Officer presented the application from Upmarket22 which sought a grant of £4,000 to fund the renovation of their new storefront following a move of the store.

 

The Vice-Chairman expressed concern that the Council is funding something that landlord has not done.

 

The Economic Development Officer confirmed that the business has paid for the property and is soon to be moving in. They will be renovating the current signage anyway and would be moving into the property immediately after that has been carried out.

 

The Panel were supportive of the application.

 

RESOLVED

 

The Cabinet Grants Panel agreed subject to available funding:

 

1.That a Storefront Improvement Grant of up to £4,000  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.