Agenda item

This report details the outcome of a review of the current distribution of council community grants and proposed options for a new approach to dispersing community grant funds.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)    To agree the name of Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) Grant to be referred to as Community Grant (NCIL).

(2)    To agree to open one Community Grant (NCIL) round per financial year.

(3)    To agree to the amount of community grant to be released as set out in paragraph 5.1 of the report for distribution across the Brent Connects areas.

(4)    To agree to allocate up to an additional £500,000 ‘pot’ for boroughwide projects.

(5)    To agree to revise the award process for the Community Grant (NCIL) in line with paragraph 5.1 of the report.

(6)    To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Communities and Regeneration to undertake a consultation on neighbourhood priorities and consider the responses to the consultation and thereafter proceed with implementing the model for the community grant.

Councillor Donnelly-Jackson (Cabinet Member for Customers, Communities & Culture) introduced the report, which detailed the outcome of a review and proposed change in approach to the delivery of community grants, including the current arrangements for the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) programme agreed by Cabinet in 2020.

In considering the report members noted the current community grant offer and dates when each of the grant funds were scheduled to reopen for applications in 2023, along with the increase in demand and growth in the number of applications being received.  In terms of the main focus of the current review, members were advised this involved NCIL, including a proposed change in name to Community Grant and model for allocation of funding in relation to non-neighbourhood areas as detailed within section 5 of the report.  Members were advised this would not affect existing responsibilities, with the statutory requirement for NCIL funded projects being maintained under the new Community Grant model.  The approach outlined would also provide for the allocation of up to an additional £500,000 “pot” designated for boroughwide projects that sought to mitigate the impact development had on the borough as a whole.

In thanking those officers involved for their work on the review and in developing the proposals, Cabinet welcomed the evolution of the community grants programme recognising this an additional benefit being delivered through the programme of regeneration across the borough for local communities to access.  Planning officers were also thanked for their ongoing efforts in securing and collecting CIL contributions, with members recognising the increasingly challenging nature of the process and generation of future CIL receipts given the impact of current economic pressures on the construction sector within Brent and across London as a whole.  Members also welcomed the communications and engagement plan designed to support the new Community Grant approach along with the enhanced due diligence and safeguarding checks to ensure applications continued to meet the required assessment criteria and were sustainable.  As a final point, members also highlighted a need to ensure that the CIL Neighbourhood boundaries were reviewed, as necessary, to ensure they also reflected the recent change in ward boundaries.

Having considered the report and with no further comments, Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)      To agree the name of Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) Grant to be referred to as Community Grant (NCIL).

(2)      To agree to open one Community Grant (NCIL) round per financial year.

(3)      To agree to the amount of community grant to be released as set out in paragraph 5.1 of the report for distribution across the Brent Connects areas.

(4)      To agree to allocate up to an additional £500,000 ‘pot’ for boroughwide projects.

(5)      To agree to revise the award process for the Community Grant (NCIL) in line with paragraph 5.1 of the report.

(6)      To delegate authority to the Corporate Director Communities and Regeneration to undertake a consultation on neighbourhood priorities and consider the responses to the consultation and thereafter proceed with implementing the model for the community grant.