North Yorkshire County Council

Report to Executive Member for Corporate Services

Locality Budget scheme 2023/24

6 March 2023

1. Purpose of report – to recommend approval of the Locality Budget scheme to be operated by North Yorkshire Council for the financial year 2023/24.

2. Locality Budgets enable Councillors to respond to local needs by recommending the allocation of small amounts of funding to support projects or activities that directly promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of the communities they represent.

3. The scheme sets out the way in which Locality Budgets will be administered.

4. The draft scheme for 2023/24 is attached (appendix one).

5. This is based on the scheme that operated in 2022/23 with four key changes:

a. The scheme is for North Yorkshire Council, rather than North Yorkshire County Council.

b. It is proposed that the first date for recommendations is brought forward to early April.  In 2022/23 the first date recommendations was in mid-June in order that it allowed time for Councillors to be briefed following the elections in early May.

c. It is proposed that funding will not be awarded for 100% of the cost of a project or activity undertaken or managed by an external organisation.  This would mean that external organisations would have to meet a proportion of the cost of the project or activity from its own funds or from a funder other than North Yorkshire Council.

d. It is proposed that exceptionally in 2023/24 the restriction of £5,000 per project or activity is removed to allow Councillors to provide additional support to projects that are directly addressing the cost-of-living crisis (eg food provision, benefits and debt advice) or directly supporting organisations or groups supporting refugees (including people here temporarily from Ukraine).

6. Financial implications – The scheme operates within the budget agreed by full Council.

7. Legal implications – Because the allocation of funding is an executive decision, decisions are made by the Executive Member with responsibility for Locality Budgets, taking into account the information received and the recommendation of the relevant Councillor.

8. Equality implications – An equality impact assessment was undertaken before the scheme was introduced and is reviewed on a regular basis.  No adverse impacts have been identified.  The scheme states that funding will not be approved for projects or activities that are contrary to the Council’s equality, diversity and inclusion policy.  Organisations also have to agree to meet all relevant legislation before receiving funding.

9. Climate change implications – Locality Budgets are administered using an online system, with email correspondence wherever possible, which reduces the need for paper forms.

10. Recommendation – that the Executive Member for Corporate Services approves the Locality Budget scheme to be operated by North Yorkshire Council for the financial year 2023/24.

Neil Irving

Assistant Director Policy, Partnerships and Communities

14 February 2023

Appendix one - Draft North Yorkshire Council Locality Budgets scheme 2023/24