Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Ashley Baxter, Councillor Patsy Ellis, Councillor Tim Harrison and Councillor Lee Steptoe.

Councillor Harrish Bisnauthsing indicated that he needed to leave the meeting at 11:00am.

The Chairman, Councillor Philip Knowles and Councillor Helen Crawford declared an interest in the following three applications and took no part in the decision making on the three applications.

SK-PCA 3021 – New Kitchen for Centre use and working area for food pantry

                           Butterfield Centre

SK-PCA-3039 – Refurbishment of Changing Room Block, Recreation Road,

                           Bourne

SK-PCD-3062 – Dyke Village Hall Low Carbon Energy System

Councillor Nikki Manterfield declared an interest in respect of application:

SK-PCD3069 – Solar PV 2025, Walton Academy

And took no part in the decision making on this item.

Councillor Harrish Bisnauthsing stated that he had been lobbied in respect of application:

SK-PCA-3032 – Refurbishment of The Shack, Recreation Ground, Stamford

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 August 2025 were proposed, seconded and agreed.

It was noted that supplementary papers had been circulated to Members in respect of an application from Inspire+ in respect of a Community Hub.  At the last meeting of the Board an application from Grantham College had been rejected which left surplus money available and Officers were tasked with looking for further applications.

Paperwork for the Inspire+ Community Hub application, SK-PS-06 was not available when the agenda had been published which was why it had been raised at this point of the agenda.  As the papers contained exempt information it was agreed that the item would be discussed during the closed session of the meeting.

SK-PS-06 Inspire+ Community Hub

The funding application was to enable the establishment of a hub to serve the community and meet the need in the local area.  A section of land in Dysart Park, Grantham could potentially provide a base for this community provision.

The Board briefly looked at each application before discussing the issue in more detail during the private session of the meeting.  The Chairman thanked the Community Engagement Manager, Carol Drury for the work that she and her team had done in respect of the applications under the interventions for Parish and Community Assets and Decarbonisation scoring the applications and making sure that they fit the criteria and were value for money.

SK-PCA – 3048 Allington Playpark Project

The application for funding was to improve the children’s play park at Allington playing Field.

SK-PCA-3024 - Opening Up Billingborough

Funding application for the refurbishment and accessibility upgrade of the main stage located within Billingborough Parish Hall.

SK-PCA-3002 – Improvements to Parish Land, Carlby

The funding application was for various elements of a project to improve the footpath access to the play field and provide seating and repair football goalmouth areas and repair a disused area of the playing field.

SK-PCA-3046 – Denton Play Area

The project was to replace play equipment for use by the children of the village.

SK-PCA-3017 – Community Arts Hub

Grantham Arts ambition is to develop a creative space with specialist equipment for ceramics, glass and print available to all.  By working with the National Trust and their Community Hub project at Grantham House. Funding was being sought to purchase a glass kiln for a community art project.

SK-PCA-3014 – Jubilee Mount Access

The project was for funding to improve the underfoot conditions on the paths through the Jubilee Mount Memorial area leading to Harrowby Hall from Tennyson Avenue, Grantham.

SK-PCA-3032 – Refurbishment of The Shack

Funding was being sought for the refurbishment of the Shack to enable increased use by the community.  The project would replace permanent shutters with double-glazed windows, install energy-efficient heating and lighting and provide accessible toilets and modernise internal wiring.  One of the Ward Councillors for Stamford indicated that he had been lobbied in respect of the application and as it was likely to be dealt with after he had left the meeting, he wanted the Board to be aware that he was not in favour of the application.  

SK-PCA-3021 – New Kitchen for Centre use and working area for food Pantry – Butterfield Centre

The project was for the relocation and creation of new kitchen facilities within a redundant bathroom and to create a new food parcel packing area in the old kitchen space.  The existing kitchen facilities were old and becoming unusable due to damp and were inconvenient due to their position to the Centre’s meeting rooms.

SK-PCA- 3029 – Children’s Counselling Area

The Wellbeing Centre in Grantham offers a meeting space for local people who are suffering the impact of grief.  Some of their service users are children and young people.  The Charity has found that they require a quiet and private space for their counselling sessions which the open-plan centre does not offer.  The funding is for the construction of an enclosed room within the Centre.

SK-PCA-3052 – Our  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.

It is likely that the Press and Public will be excluded during discussion of the following items of business because of the likelihood that information that is exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) would be disclosed to them.

It was proposed, seconded and agreed to exclude the press and public at this point in the meeting as it was likely that information contained within the remaining items on the agenda were exempt under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

The Chairman informed the Board that the Decarbonisation schemes would be dealt with before the Parish and Community Assets Interventions.

Each Group who had submitted an initial Expression of Interest was assessed on how the project met the criteria of the funding, how the project responded to a local need, the benefits for the community and the feasibility of the project being completed within the required timeframe.   Groups who met the criteria were sent an application plus a detailed criteria document which they were advised to read carefully before completing the application form to ensure their request for funding had the best chance of success.  The deadline for submission was 1 August 2025 for applications to be submitted together with all required supporting documentation, quotes, governing documents, bank details, annual accounts etc.

It was noted that as the minimum grant was £5,000, those who had bids below this figure were directed towards the SK Community Fund where a project was eligible under that scheme.

The Assistant Director of Finance gave a brief overview of the finance implications for each of the interventions in respect of the applications before the Board.  Members had been circulated with a sheet indicating the funding allocation for each of the two interventions under discussion.

It was proposed that the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA) was contacted to see if agreement to re allocate funding between interventions would be permitted to enable all funds to be allocated.

Discussion on the spread of the funding allocation followed and it was stated that there was a good spread across the district. The Community Engagement Manager was thanked for her work in overseeing the application process in respect of the interventions under discussion.

SK-PCD-3053 – Energy Management – Long Bennington Village Hall

Funding requested: £25,000

The Funding request was for the installation of solar PV panelling plus associated battery storage.  Members noted that the village hall was well used, run by volunteers and that there was match funding in place.  It was proposed, seconded and agreed to ENDORSE the funding request.

SK-PCD-3058 – Installing Solar Panels at the Ascension Community Hall

Funding requested: £5,360

The project was for the installation of solar panels on the roof of the Community Hall as well as an inverter and associated cabling and controls.  Members were supportive of the project and it was proposed, seconded and agreed to ENDORSE the funding request.

SK-PCD-3067 – Bright Hall Initiative – Heydour Village Hall

Funding requested: £18,971.53

The funding request was for a project to improve the energy efficiency of the village hall to move towards net zero. The Board acknowledged the amount of use the facilities had and on being put to the vote the funding request was ENDORSED.

SK-PCD-3062 – Dyke Village Hall Low Carbon Energy System

Funding requested: £15,000

The Chairman and Councillor Helen Crawford spoke in support of the project to replace the aging gas blown-air heating system together with PV panels on the roof and then left the meeting.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.