Minutes:
2. Grants for local projects - Applications and Recommended Projects for NCIL Ward Funding
2.1 A short presentation was given by officers, outlining the process followed in allocating the Ward NCIL Fund. This included consultation with residents via the Commonplace platform, and opening up the fund to residents for applications in September 2021 for 8 weeks. A programme of support had been offered to enable less experienced residents to present bids for funding. The projects recommended for funding were presented.
2.2 Telegraph Hill ward had £96,167 available and received 6 applications to the value of £118,305.
2.3 The priorities set by Telegraph Hill Assembly following the Commonplace consultation were:
· Transport and streets
· Community safety
· Community facilities
· Open/green spaces and nature
· Children's services
· Environment
· An additional priority of COVID Recovery was added to all wards as agreed by Mayor and Cabinet in September 2021.
Q: As each project has been allowed less than they wanted, have you assured yourself they can do the work for a lesser amount?
A: Where reductions have been applied the team ensured, after an analysis of the budget and application, that a consistent part of the project could be delivered.
Q: It is important in terms of transparency of the programme to look at the scoring structure was. It was based on how the questions were addressed but you have also mentioned priorities and a panel of experts. Could you please clarify this?
A: Most of the questions were scored between 0-4 and few others between
0-2; there was a final general comment. No weighting has been given to the priorities but the team had to make sure they projects were aligned with the priorities chosen.
Two people have been marking independently the applications and the moderator was a manager; after the moderation the projects would go to the experts (such as highways, green spaces, etc.) and include their comments to the report that would go back to senior managers and director panel. Recommendations and summaries went back to the councillors.
Q: When I initially heard about this funding I thought that there would be a voting process at the assembly meetings to decide whether something would be funded or not. It sounds that if it hasn’t reached this stage the project isn’t going to be funded and the public has an opportunity now to comment on the bids that have been accepted for funding and those will be taken in consideration when the final decision gets made, unless somebody raises a concern. Is my understanding correct?
A: The decision will always be made by Mayor and Cabinet but this local assembly has an opportunity to influence that decision; it’s very important for the Ward Cllrs, elected to represent you, to get the feelings, the comments, the mood of the meeting and any specific issue is communicated along with the officers recommendations.
Q: Why other wards have more money allocated to them?
A: It’s a formula based on the value of planning developments that are approved in different wards; where there isn’t much development happening the local needs and the social deprivation scale were taken into account. Lewisham has allocated the maximum 25%.