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Agenda and minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, Muriel Matters House, Breeds Place, Hastings, TN34 3UY. Please enter the building via the Tourist Information Centre entrance.
Contact: Emily Horne on 01424 451719 email ehorne@hastings.gov.uk
Items No. Item Apologies for Absence
Minutes:
Apologies were noted for Chris May, the Protector.
Decelerations of Interest
Minutes:
None.
Minutes of previous Charity Committee held on 25 June 2018 and 24 September 2018 PDF 104 KB
Additional documents:
- Minutes Public Pack, 24/09/2018 Charity Committee , item 6. PDF 286 KB
- Minutes Public Pack, 24/09/2018 Charity Committee AGM , item 6. PDF 337 KB
Minutes:
RESOLVED that the minutes of the Charity Committee held on 25 June 2018 be accepted as a correct record.
To be amended, under the Public Question Time item – The Wet Play Area section stated “The Marketing and Major Projects Manager said there is a mini wet play area…”
This would be amended to “There is to be a mini wet play area.”
It was noted that these minutes were published late.
RESOLVED that the minutes of the Charity Committee held on 24 September 2018 be accepted as a correct record, subject to the amendments above.
Foreshore Trust Draft Finance Report PDF 116 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues presented a report to advise the Committee on the current year’s financial position.
The Foreshore Trust derives its income mainly from car parking and property leases/licences, the former income stream being quite variable.
The budget agreed in March 2018 identified budgeted income at £1,400,000 and expenditure at £1,020,000. The budgeted surplus for the year being £380,000 after direct governance costs, but before distribution of grants, capital charges and before use of Reserves.
Income is currently projected to exceed the budget by a small amount. The amount of rental income anticipated is now £9,000 more than budgeted for due to new lets at better terms.
The Chief Accountant made the Committee aware that the deficit figure referenced in the recommendations of the report on page 19 should be £62,000 not £49,000.
Councillor Rogers proposed a motion to approve the recommendations in the report, subject to the change in the deficit figure. Councillor Batsford seconded the motion.
RESOLVED (unanimously):
To agree the current financial position for 2018/19.
Reasons for the recommendation:
The Council has the responsibility for the proper management of the financial affairs of the Trust. In doing so it complies with Accounting Codes of Practice and the high standards required for the accounting of Public money.
A surplus slightly above budget expectations is anticipated for 2018/19 in respect of operating income and expenses. Once grant and project costs are taken into account a reduced deficit of £62,000 is anticipated against a budgeted deficit of £99,000.
Cultural Development Fund PDF 116 KB
Minutes:
The Cultural Regeneration Manager presented a report to seek support from the Foreshore Trust to utilise the £75,000 of public art funding (£25,000 p.a.) already within the Foreshore Trust budget as match for the recently submitted Cultural Development Fund bid.
A consortium bid, formed of cultural sector and local authority partners across East Sussex, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sports and Arts Council England was submitted on 19th October 2018. The fund has the potential to make a significant contribution to our cultural regeneration ambitions, through supporting key cultural sector partners and council-led activity.
The aim of the fund is to use culture and creative activity to unlock economic growth and productivity, and to make places attractive places to live in, work and visit.
The bid led by Hastings Borough Council will establish a Creative Enterprise Zone across the towns of coastal East Sussex from Hastings to Newhaven, with the vision of creating a single coastal ecology for the creative sector. The grant value amounts to £4.5m, with £1,005,000 for Hastings.
The Committee discussed the report and a question was raised regarding ring-fencing of this year’s £25,000 allocation of match funding. The Chief Accountant responded that the Trust is currently forecasting to spend it this year but if it isn’t spent it will increase the transfer to the reserves to be spent in future years.
It is noted that, although the report states that the wards affected will be Castle and Old Town, there will be an impact across all wards from this project if successful.
Councillor Batsford proposed a motion to approve the recommendations in the report, seconded by Councillor Rogers.
RESOLVED (unanimously) that:Should the cultural development fund be successful, agree that £25,000 per year of Foreshore Trust public art funding be recognised as match funding for the cultural development fund programme.
Reasons for the recommendation:
The cultural development fund bid was submitted on 19 October 2018, with unsecured match funding identified. Due to the tight turnaround of the bidding timeline, this report is seeking retrospective permission to utilise the £75,000 already agreed public art Foreshore Trust budget (£25,000 per year for three years) as match to support the project.
The Foreshore Trust has already agreed to support investment in public art and the authority to develop proposals for delivery of public art, and the cultural development fund programme would enhance that investment and delivery for the benefit of residents and visitors.
Appointment of Grants Advisory Panel Member
Minutes:
The Chief Legal Officer presented a report to consider the appointment of a new member of the Grants Advisory Panel for a period of 3 years.
Last year the Council put an article in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer and Hastings Independent in order to attract interest from members of the public to volunteer to be members of the Grants Advisory Panel.
Three applications were received. The applicants were interviewed by the Chair of Charity Committee and the Chair of the Grants Advisory Panel, Andrew Colquhoun. Andrew was able to give helpful information on the work of the Grant Advisory Panel.
All three candidates had experience of the voluntary sector and gave very strong performances at interview. Subsequently Maria Gonet was offered a position on the Grants Advisory Panel subject to the Charity Committee formally appointing her. However the other two candidates details were kept in case anyone else resigned. Sarah Coop was contacted (with the approval of the Chair of GAP and the Chair of Charity Committee) last year and said she would be delighted to join the panel. The same process has taken place in relation to Kerry Fellows.
Councillor Rogers proposed a motion to approve the recommendations in the report. Councillor Batsford seconded the motion.
RESOLVED (unanimously):
To appoint Kerry Fellows to the Grants Advisory Panel with immediate effect for a period of three years.
Reasons for the recommendation:
The membership of the Grants Advisory Panel is now seven due to a member recently resigning. The assessment of grant applications takes place very soon. As two members assess the same applications it is helpful to have an even number of members.
Minutes of Coastal Users Group, 26 November 2018 & 5 December 2018 PDF 303 KB
Minutes:
The Marketing and Major Projects Manager provided an update on the meetings of the Coastal Users Group. The only item the Coastal Users Group wanted raised was the inclusion of all wards in the wards affected section of the cultural development fund report. This was noted by the Committee.
Notification of any additional urgent items
Urgent items (if any)
Urgency - Foreshore Trust Business Plan 2019 – 2022 – additional items PDF 118 KB
Minutes:
The Assistant Director, Regeneration and Culture presented a report to propose additional items for the period 2019 – 2022.
The Assistant Director, Regeneration and Culture noted that the report should reflect that the business plan is a 5 year rolling plan and will run up to 2024.
The business plan is based upon current knowledge of maintenance, income, required capital works and proposals for new activities.
It will be subject to review and modification as developing proposals and investigations are completed, most significantly in relation to the Stade facilities and the White Rock Baths area. The plan should be reviewed annually. As such the 2019/20 business plan is currently being reviewed, and a number of additional items are proposed for inclusion.
These additional items will not change the existing budgeted amount within the grants scheme, or main programme activities, and, will instead, be funded through additional income from increases in fees and charges and use of reserves which are currently unallocated.
The areas of support which have been identified, and would, it is proposed, have budget lines associated are:
a. Homelessness
b. Fuel poverty
c. Domestic Violence
d. Housing, debt and benefit advice
e. Migration intervention
f. Support infrastructure to voluntary organisations (who support the most deprived and isolated individuals).
A question was raised regarding the impact of the Herring Fair on seafront car parks and car park revenue. In response it was confirmed that previous analysis has shown an increase in car park revenue around the time of events at the Stade.
The Assistant Director, Financial Services and Revenues highlighted that work is being undertaken to confirm the ongoing maintenance liabilities of the Trust. The Borough Surveyor has prepared a draft maintenance schedule so that costs can be calculated and incorporated into the budget.
Councillor Rogers proposed a motion to accept the recommendation in the report, seconded by Councillor Batsford.
RESOLVED (unanimously):
That the additional items proposed for inclusion in the Business Plan be approved, in principle.
Reasons for recommendation:The Charity Committee requires a business plan to support its decision-making on the use of Trust assets and surpluses.
We are 2 years into the current 5 year business plan, and due to reducing funding across East Sussex County Council and within Hastings Borough Council, it is timely to review current allocations of funding for charitable purposes within the borough of Hastings.
The finalised 19/20-21/22 business plan will be presented for discussion on the 18th March 2019.
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