Issue - meetings

Received a report from the Chief Executive on a proposal to cover, in the form of a grant, any planning application fees submitted by Borough-based registered charities for local projects that will assist in the delivery of the Council’s Community Priorities. 

Members proposed an amendment to the recommendation in the report in order to better clarify the intention of the proposal, which is to support, for example, small local voluntary and sports groups whose benefits are enjoyed by the wider local community rather than faith organisations who may be located in the Borough but whose projects would typically be targeted at particular communities.  Officers agreed to review the implications of this proposed amendment in the light of appropriate legislation.

Agreed, in order to assist the Council to achieve all of its Community Priorities, to:

(i)  The introduction of the scheme to recompense, by way of a grant, planning application fees incurred by local registered charitable organisations based in the Borough where the planning application is assessed as helping to deliver the priorities of the Council’s Community Plan, subject to any grant funding being repayable to the Council in the event that the planning permission is not implemented; and

(ii)  Authorise the Chief Executive, acting on the advice of Legal Partners and in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, to make any appropriate amendments to the detail of the scheme to reflect the preferred position as referred to above.