Agenda item

a)         Decision deferred pending further information:

 

·     Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub proposal

 

b)         Year 1 Prosperity Fund applications deferred pending further information:

 

·     Arnhem 1944 Fellowship

·     St Wulframs Church

·     Castle Bytham Village Hall

·     Long Bennington Parish Council

 

c)          Projects approved with further information requested for reference:

 

·     The Bread and Butter Thing

 

d)         Year 1 Prosperity Fund applications approved with further information requested for reference:

 

·     Art Pop Up Stamford

 

e)         Year 2 Prosperity Fund applications deferred pending further information:

 

·     Open Door Baptist Church

·     Caythorpe & Frieston Parish Council

·     The Bythams Woodland Trust (BWT)

 

 

Members considered a number of applications that were either deferred pending further information, or not considered due to time constraints at the meeting held on 28 February:

 

Local Business Application - Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub

 

This was a request for funding from Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub over two years. Members had raised queries at the previous meeting held on 28 February - the following information was provided:

 

·       Part of the funding would grant access to a qualified growth and business advisor for two and a half days a week to local businesses. There would also be direct access to face to face advisors, for a range of different business needs.

·       The funding also granted access to 24 workshops and events each year provided by Business Lincolnshire.

·       Business Lincolnshire would engage with around 670 businesses across the District across the next two years; this was approximately 10% of businesses based in South Kesteven. The current Corporate Plan target for the District was to engage with 60 businesses per year.

·       There was not a common approach by Councils across Lincolnshire dealing with the procurement of UKSPF activity. However, for those authorities that did not approve funding for Business Lincolnshire, there would be no dedicated Growth Hub support.

·       Not all authorities in Lincolnshire had yet reached a decision on whether to grant UKSPF funding to Business Lincolnshire.

 

On the basis of the information provided, members were content to approve the funding, and asked that the work be tracked by the relevant Overview and Scrutiny committee. The Local Business Funding was proposed, seconded and AGREED.

 

Year One Prosperity Fund Applications

 

Arnhem 1944 Fellowship

 

Further information had been requested on the benefits and the content of the proposed feasibility study attached to the project to develop an Arnhem/Airborne Forces trail; this information was provided to members to aid their decision.

 

On the basis of this additional information, the application was moved and seconded. Members were informed by the Armed Forces Champion that the project should grow as it involved sites across Lincolnshire and across to Rutland - it was a largely untold story.

 

Informal discussions had mentioned the Cabinet Rooms in London and Duxford as being critical parts of the trail.

 

The application, having been moved and seconded was AGREED.

 

Note:  Councillor Richard Dixon-Warren left the meeting.

 

St. Wulfram’s Church

 

Members had been provided with a full breakdown of costs for the project, along with quotes.

 

There were two elements to the project for urgent repairs and maintenance:

·       Repairs to the mesh grilles to windows in the spire of St. Wulfram’s

·       Works to clear downpipes and gutters and repair leadwork as necessary to both the south and north sides of the church.

 

Officers confirmed that the application would be eligible under the terms of the funding due to the amount of community-based activity taking place within the church.

 

It was confirmed that the quote attached to the application was from December 2022, and therefore the increased costs on top of this quote would have to be met by the church.

 

The application was proposed, seconded and AGREED.

 

Castle Bytham Village Hall

 

Members had previously requested a breakdown of costs and a copy of the targeted energy efficiency audit related to the installation of two oil fired condensing boilers at Castle Bytham Village Hall.

 

Members moved and seconded the application, whilst commenting that Village Halls were vital to local communities.

 

The application, having been moved and seconded was AGREED.

 

Long Bennington Parish Council

 

Members had previously requested a breakdown of costs, examples of signs, and the number and location of signs the project would fund. These signs were attached to gates that drivers would witness upon entering the village of Long Bennington.

 

The following information was raised during debate:

 

·       The gates were designed to slow traffic upon entering the village.

·       Officers would check that there was permission from Lincolnshire County Council to install the gates on the grass verges.

·       There were eight gates, or fences, in total.

·       The level of funding was questioned, but it was confirmed that the level of funding being requested would have to be fully evidenced.

·       It would be the responsibility of the applicant to maintain the gates once installed.

 

The application was proposed, seconded and AGREED.

 

Year Two Prosperity Fund Applications

 

Caythorpe and Frieston Parish Council

 

Members had previously requested a breakdown of costs and quotes associated with the clock at St. Vincent’s Church, Caythorpe. The proposal was to convert the clock to an automatic winding system; it was currently manually wound by an individual in the village.

 

Members, whilst content to agree the application wanted the community to highlight the importance and the heritage of the clock. Officers confirmed that they could work with the applicant to promote activity related to the funding.

 

The application was proposed, seconded and AGREED.

 

Bythams Woodland Trust

 

Members had previously requested a breakdown of costs and further information on the funding for the installation of wooden play equipment at the Bythams Woodland Trust.

 

The following information was raised during debate:

 

·       There was time to reconsider this application as it was a year two funding bid. This would allow more time to get further clarity on the funding for this equipment.

·       The park was popular with residents in Castle Bytham, Morton, Bourne, Dyke Village and Stamford.

·       There was concern that if approved, there would be a large number of applications for play areas, the equipment for which tended to be costly. The towns within the District could apply for Section 106 funding; there was also the opportunity for applications to a specific body that granted funding for play areas.

 

Given that members still had questions over the funding for the project, it was moved, seconded and AGREED to DEFER the application. Officers were to send a letter to the applicant outlining the discussion points put forward by the Board.

 

Open Door Baptist Church

 

Members had not considered this application at the previous meeting held on 28 February due to time constraints. The application was for the replacement of light fittings, emergency light fittings and bulkhead type fittings.

 

The application was proposed, seconded and AGREED.

 

Applications for noting

 

Applications from:

 

·       The Bread and Butter Thing (Communities and Place)

·       Art Pop Up, Stamford (Year One Prosperity Funding)

 

were NOTED by the Board, having previously been agreed at the meeting on 28 February.

 

The Bread and Butter Thing application had been agreed by the Chairman outside of the Board meeting after he had confirmed he was content with the accounts of the company, as per the recommendation from the meeting held on 28 February.

 

Art Pop Up Stamford had evidenced their programme of delivery.