Agenda item

Neighbourhood Committee Budget 2012/2013

Proposals and agreement for the allocation of the capital budget of £25,000

Neighbourhood Committee Budget 2012/2013

The Committee received presentation of a report from the Neighbourhood Manager for Ortons with Hampton S2, which outlined the proposals for the Neighbourhood Committee capital budget allocation of £25,000 for 2012/2013.

The Committee was asked to:

1. Consider the proposals for allocation of the capital budget of £25,000 for 2012/13;
2. Approve the proposals which would receive an allocation of the budget;
3. Agree to a reduction in the individual allocations should the approved proposals exceed the £25,000 budget, to be determined by the Neighbourhood Manager; and
4. Agree that the Neighbourhood Manager would be responsible for determining the final detail of the project in consultation with Ward Councillors and other relevant parties.

Proposals which sought approval from Members were as follows:

• Improvements to parking area and open space at Lythemere - £16,700.00;

• Creation of additional parking bays at Pennington - £2,100.00;

• Improvements to communal areas within Brudenell - £2,255.00;
• Installation of “pedestrians in road” warning signs and supporting “slow” signs on road at Blackmead. - £700.00;
• Works to prevent unauthorised access to open space at Gostwick - £1,725.00; and
• Removal of trip rails, improvements to highways and painting remaining rails in Paynels - £1,500.00.

Comments and responses to questions were as follows:

• The installation of bollards and bunds at Lythemere, was necessary due to the access arrangements of the area; and
• Broken railings at Paynels would be replaced.  The railings that were in good working order would remain and be refurbished.

The allocation of funding for the above projects was agreed unanimously by Members.

Following a vote the committee agreed the following:

The Committee approved:

1. The proposals for allocation of the capital budget of £25,000 for 2012/13;
2. The proposals that would receive an allocation of the budget;
3. To a reduction in the individual allocations should the approved proposals exceed the £25,000 budget, to be determined by the Neighbourhood Manager; and
4. That the Neighbourhood Manager would be responsible for determining the final detail of the project in consultation with ward councillors and other relevant parties.

The Committee agreed funding allocation for the following projects:

• Improvements to parking area and open space at Lythemere - £16,700.00;
• Creation of additional parking bays at Pennington - £2,100.00;
• Improvements to communal areas within Brudenell - £2,255.00;
• Installation of “pedestrians in road” warning signs and supporting “slow” signs on road at Blackmead. - £700.00
• Works to prevent unauthorised access to open space at Gostwick - £1,725.00; and
• Removal of trip rails, improvements to highways and painting remaining rails in Paynels - £1,500.00.

Reasons for the decision:

The budget assigned to Neighbourhood Committees was assigned specifically to spend on projects which address priorities from the communities for each Neighbourhood Committee area.  To enable the £25,000 to be spent within this financial year Members were asked to bring forward capital spend projects which helped to meet some of these emerging priorities.  This active Member involvement ensures the money was spent on the most appropriate projects to benefit communities.

Alternative options considered:

Not to spend the money.  This would lead to proposed local projects not receiving funding resulting in no benefit to the local area.