Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting, noting this was the rescheduled date following the postponement of the meeting on 13 September, as a result of the period of national mourning. He explained there were ongoing technical issues meaning the meeting was not able to be webcast live, although the recording would be published at a later date if possible.

Following the standard housekeeping announcements, the Chairman addressed the Committee stating that, under Council Procedure Rules Section 11.1 (g) he proposed that agenda item 6b, the Jubilee Impact Report, be withdrawn, on the basis that the country had only the day before emerged from National Mourning, following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The report could be considered at a later date and he asked that Officers made a note that it be included as a future item of business. This proposal was seconded and, on taking the vote, unanimously

RESOLVED that agenda item 6b, the Jubilee Impact Report, be withdrawn, to be considered at a future date.

The Chairman continued by welcoming new Members to the Committee, and putting on record his thanks to Councillor Steve England, who had served for many years on the Committee.

With no further announcements, the Chairman proceeded to the first agenda item.

Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation.  Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.

There was no public participation.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the Prosperous Communities Committee held on …………………..

The Chairman noted there were three sets of minutes for approval, with each set taken in turn, it was

RESOLVED that

a)    the Minutes of the Meeting of the Prosperous Communities Committee held on 7 June, 2022 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

b)    the Minutes of the Meeting of the Prosperous Communities Committee held on 19 July, 2022 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

c)    the Minutes of the Concurrent Meeting of the Prosperous Communities and Corporate Policy & Resources Committees held on 7 July, 2022 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 5 September 2022

With no comments or questions and with no requirement for a vote, the Matters Arising were DULY NOTED.

Members may make any declarations at this point but may also make them at any time during the course of the meeting.

Councillor J. McNeill declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 6a, Caistor 3G Football Pitch, as his niece attended the school.

Members gave consideration to a report seeking approval for a Match Funding Grant award over the standard maximum allocation. It was explained that, as part of the Council’s Community Grants Programme, the Match Funding Grant was the medium sized grant scheme supporting a wide range of projects. Applications were reviewed by the Community Grants Panel in line with the funding criteria, which had a published maximum grant award of £8,000 to a single project. Members heard that, in certain circumstances, the Community Grants Panel would accept an application requesting more than that amount where the strategic importance of the project could be demonstrated. For applications requesting more than £8,000, the Community Grants Panel would review and approve the application as normal but would then recommend to the Prosperous Communities Committee for approval to make the award, as was the case with the application before Committee, to support the resurfacing of the multi-sport 3G pitch in Caistor.

It was stated that the application for this project was submitted by Caistor Grammar School, had gone through the standard scoring process and was presented to a Community Grants Panel where it was approved. It was also noted that all grant awards made by the Council were issued with a grant funding agreement that included conditions specific to each project. For this project, the grant funding agreement would include conditions around a community pricing structure and guaranteed community access. It was highlighted to Members that the Community Grants Panel had recommended the approval of the £15,000 grant award.

The Chairman thanked the Officer for a clear and concise report and invited questions from the Committee.

There was widespread support from Members, with the benefits of such sites being extolled for people from all walks of life, ages and fitness levels. Members were keen to know that amateur sports clubs would not be faced with price increases in order to cover the cost of the such a proposal. It was confirmed that the funding would enable the site to continue to offer preferential rates, with investment also gained from other avenues.

With further discussion regarding the success of the site, the use for all those in the area and beyond, as well as recognising the opportunities to expand use through social media promotion and wider advertising, the recommendation contained within the report was moved and subsequently seconded. On taking the vote, it was unanimously,

RESOLVED a Match Funding Grant award of £15,000 to Caistor Grammar School, as recommended by the Community Grants Panel, be approved.

As resolved at the opening of the meeting, this item was withdrawn.

With no comments, questions, or requirement for a vote, the Work Plan was DULY NOTED.

To resolve that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

RESOLVED that under Section 100 (A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Note:              The meeting entered closed session at 6.55pm

Members gave consideration to a report seeking a decision on a future one-year pilot of Operational Services delivering bulky waste collections in City of Lincoln Council area. It was explained that most councils in England offered some level of bulky waste collection service. Under the terms of the Controlled Waste Regulations 2012 Schedule 1 section 4, where a council provided a direct collection for bulky items, then it could charge for that service, so the person who used the service paid. In West Lindsey last year, some 1989 bulky waste collections were completed. The service operated four days each week meaning the bulky waste vehicle was not used on one day each week. An enquiry had been received from City of Lincoln Council as to whether Operational Services might be able to provide some level of Bulky Waste service to that area, which had resulted in a proposal for a pilot joint working arrangement.

On opening for questions, Members were keen to understand the details of the proposal, including environmental considerations and service level requirements. The Committee expressed support for the collaborative working approach, appreciating that there were likely to be further opportunities over time for future co-working.

It was suggested that such a service may help improve fly-tipping within the district, although it was recognised that there was no direct link proven between bulky waste collections and rates of fly-tipping.

With widespread support from the Committee, and having been moved and seconded, on taking the vote it was unanimously

            RESOLVED that

a)    a one year pilot of a Bulky Waste collection service in City of Lincoln be approved; and

b)    a formal shared service agreement be signed off by the Director of Operational and Commercial Services and Chair of Prosperous Communities Committee, prior to service implementation.