To make, under delegated powers, the following
changes to the Locality Budgets Scheme for the 2020/21 year:
a) The Locality Budgets and Environmental Budgets schemes be
combined into one scheme known as Locality Budgets; with the total
budget allocation per County Councillor being £10,000.
b) County Councillors be able to make recommendations from 1 April
2020 (rather than the second Monday in May) with the last date for
recommendations being 31 January 2021.
c) The minimum funding which can be recommended by a County
Councillor for a project or activity is £300 and the maximum
£5,000. Two or more County Councillors can jointly recommend
funding for a project or activity, but the maximum total funding
for any project or activity in a financial year is £5,000.
However, for humanitarian projects linked to the Covid-19 pandemic
the restriction of £5000 per project or activity is removed
to allow County Councillors to jointly fund larger humanitarian
initiatives.
d) In order to allow decisions to be made more quickly and to
reduce the administrative burden on officers running the scheme
during the Coronavirus pandemic, the Chairman of the County Council
and the Chairman of Corporate and Partnerships Overview and
Scrutiny Committee have consented to subsequent allocation
decisions by the Executive Member for Stronger Communities being
dealt with on an urgency and call in exemption basis.
e) Although recommendations have to be for projects or activities
that directly promote the social, economic or environmental
wellbeing of the communities they represent, County Councillors are
particularly encouraged to focus on projects or activities that
respond to local needs and community initiatives arising from the
impact of Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of climate change, and/or
promote the Council’s Stronger Communities
programme.