Meetings Minutes: 26 July 2007

Minutes of Grantham Future Board Meeting 27 March 2008

Present

Welcome And Apologies

Cllr Mike Cook was welcomed and formally appointed as the new member for SKDC and it was noted that Cllr Stuart Farrar had been nominated by SKDC as the representative for the Projects Group.

Matters Arising

No matters arising which were not agenda items

Funding Requests

1. Events Group were holding a St Georges Day event on St Peters Hill Green running in parallel with the Scouts event on Sunday 27 April. They were asking for £500 towards the £2.5k costs. The GF Board was in unanimous agreement that this request should be supported

2. Easter Egg Hunt this event had already happened and board consent for the £50 funding contribution had been obtained by email from Lia.

BIDs Update

Lia reported that the BIDs Academy Capacity Building workshop had been held on 19 February and a final feasibility study was due in 1 -2 weeks. A trophy had been awarded as the Academy had been completed.

Attendance at the event had been poor, even though the day had been well organised and useful. It had been perceived that partnership working would need to be strengthened before any BID could go forward.

Neil Cuttell asked that Board members read the report.

Neil suggested an evidence based paper to be prepared on the effect of supplementary business rates.

ACTION: Lia to prepare paper and to send out to Board members with the final report.

SKDC Funding for 2008/2009

To remain at £30,000.

Masterplan

Lia Ibbotson reported that development briefs tenders had been prepared and submissions received for the three main projects in the Masterplan and that a Non Key Decision was awaited from the SKDC Portfolio holder for acceptance of the preferred tender. The correct procurement procedure had been followed. Neil Cuttell noted that £30k had been set aside for the Development briefs and Lincs Enterprise had been approached for approx £70k towards funding costs. Station Point was to be the first one attempted.

Neil also commented that roundabouts were now back with his department, following Anthony Hardy’s leaving the Council.

Section 106 funding – Jackie Smith reminded those present that there was 106 funding for public art from the Cattlemarket development and suggested that Grantham Future would be ideally placed to take this over and start the process off. Neil emphasised that 106 funding was not transferable in any way eg for use in another town as had been reported in the Journal. The 106 agreement specifies what the funding may be used for.

ACTION: Lia/Neil to obtain a copy of the agreement for Cattlemarket site in advance of discussion by GF about it.

ACTION: Jackie Smith to write to Council asking to be involved in the 106 process.

(Post meeting note- Lia to submit NKD asking for this to be considered)

Other Business

1. The Chairman noted that the recent very large increase (79%) in police authority funding as paid by council tax payers, was to be capped as reported on the media that morning. Jackie put forward the view that this would result in significant underpolicing in the area which would not assist with encouraging developers to come to Grantham. It was suggested that Grantham Future and the business community in general could do something to support the Police or LCC. It was noted that 7 members of the police authority are councillor nominees, but that the District Council do not have much input. Barry Jones of Billingborough was an enthusiastic member. Cllr Chapman offered to contact Barry Jones and Cllr Martin Hill at LCC to see what could be done. It was also suggested that Quentin Davies be appealed to, but he had already made his support of the capping known.

ACTION: Roy Chapman

2. Dysart Park Cllr Cook informed the Board that this year was the 100th birthday of Dysart Part which was built on land given by the Earl of Dysart. A fete was to be held on 5/6 July. Cllr Cook asked if GF had any interest in this. The Chairman commented that if there was an organising group, then specific requests for funding would be considered by the GF board.

ACTION: Cllr Cook to liaise with Lia who was aware of the group organising this event.

3. Peter Burrows asked for an update on the Market Place Pedestrianisation project. Neil Cuttell responded that the District Council were intending to merge it with the Growth Point/Greyfriars projects.