North Yorkshire Council

Corporate and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee

15 June 2026

Annual Review of Councillor Locality Budgets 2025/2026

Report of the Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement

1. Purpose of the report

1.1 To review the operation of councillor locality budgets in the financial year 2025/2026

2. Background

2.1 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 communities they represent.

2.2 The locality budgets scheme seeks to ensure the councillors have a clear role in the allocation of funding in their division within the criteria and process agreed by the executive. The role includes actively promoting the scheme within their division so that the money is allocated to meet appropriate local needs.

2.3 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 informative received and recommendation of the relevant councillor.

2.4 Transparency is a significant feature of the scheme.

· Councillors are required to declare all relevant interest when making a recommendation, including membership or other connections with organisations that will benefit from or manage a locality budget award.

· Awards are published on the council website at:

Councillor locality budgets | North Yorkshire Council

3. Summary of Approved Recommendations in 2025/2026

3.1       A summary of the locality budgets scheme operated by North Yorkshire Council in 2025/2026 is attached as Appendix 1.

3.2       The first date of the receipt of recommendations was 13 May 2025 and the last date was 31 Jan 2026

3.3       535 recommendations were approved, an average of over six recommendations per councillor.

3.4       519 projects and activities were supported in total. This is slightly less than the number of approved recommendations because the scheme allows more than one councillor to support a project or activity.

3.5       The funding committed in the year was £434,340 the average recommendation was £800 the lowest £300 (minimum allowed) and the maximum was £5,000 (the maximum allowed.

3.6       A list of all approved recommendations is attached at Appendix 2 and a summary of committed funding by each councillor is attached at Appendix 3.

3.7       44% of the funding was committed to projects and activities managed by not-for-profit organisations (including charities and voluntary organisations) 41% to parish and town councils 1.8% to NYC directorates for additional services over and above mainstream budgets and 11.7% to schools. A breakdown of committed funding by type of organisations is attached at Appendix 4.

3.8       The funding was committed to a very broad range of types of projects and activities, with the largest amounts for projects and activities involving; village & community hall improvements 4.5%,  Events – including festivals 11%,  groups for children &  young people 13%, support for vulnerable adults 5%,  environmental improvements- including in-bloom projects 10% and public space improvements 7%.  A breakdown of committed funding by the type of project or activity is attached as Appendix 5.

4. Impact

4.1 The aim of the scheme is to enable councillors to respond to local needs by recommending to allocation of small amounts of funding to support projects or activities that directly promote the social, economic environmental wellbeing of communities they represent.

4.2 However, the very wide variety of projects and activities supported and the need to ensure that the costs of monitoring are not disproportionate makes it impossible to meaningfully measure or directly compare the impact of individual projects and activities.

4.3 Councillors are provided with a copy of completed monitoring forms in respect of their recommendations so that they are aware of the impact of each project or activity and can take this into account when making future recommendations. Monitoring forms and appropriate supporting evidence are also reviewed by officers. Any concerns about potential fraud or financial irregularity are dealt with in accordance with standard council procedures.

5. Equality

5.1 An equality impact assessment was undertaken before the scheme was introduced and reviewed in 2027. No adverse impacts were anticipated, and none have any been identified since.

5.2 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.

6. Arrangements for 2026/2027

6.1 The budget allocation per councillor for 2026/2027 is £5000

6.2 Councillor have been able to make recommendations from 11 May 2026 and the last date for receipt of recommendations will be 31 January 2027.

6.3 The locality budgets scheme for 2026/2027 is attached as Appendix 6.

6.4 To note that the bid criteria has been revied by the executive member for the corporate services and determined that minimum funding allowed remains at £300.

6.5 To note that the administrative overheads for the scheme have been reduced in line with reduction in grant from 1 FTE to up to 0.8 FTE.

7.0 Recommendation

7.1       The Committee is recommended to:

i.   Consider and comment on the operation of councillor locality budgets during the 2025/2026 financial year.

ii. Note the North Yorkshire Locality Budgets Scheme for 2026/2027

Rachel Joyce

Assistant Chief Executive for Local Engagement

9 June 2026

Background Papers: None

Appendices:

Appendix 1 - North Yorkshire Council Locality Budgets 2025/2026

Appendix 2 - Approved Recommendations in 2025/2026

Appendix 3 - Committed funding by councillor in 2025/2026

Appendix 4 - Committed funding by type of organisation 2025/2026

Appendix 5 - Committed funding by type of project or activity in 2025/2026

Appendix 6 - North Yorkshire Council locality budgets scheme 2026/2027

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.