Issue - items at meetings - Target Hardening Fund 2011-2012

This report presents information on the current years Target Hardening Fund allocations and proposes recommendations on ways to improve the accessibility and awareness of the fund for future years.

RESOLVED: (i) That the information on the allocation of the

2011-2012 Target Hardening Fund be noted.

(ii) That Option 3, as outlined in paragraph 11 of the report, be approved to publicise the scheme wider to residents and organisations active in the wards so that they can make suggestions to the relevant ward committee for funding allocations.

(iii) That the process be reviewed after a year.

REASONS: (i) For information.

(ii) To ensure that the accessibility and awareness of the Target Hardening Fund is improved in a timely fashion for the financial year 2012/2013. Ensuring that access to the fund is fair and equitable and in this way improving the quality and diversity of applications to the fund.

(iii) To ensure that the allocation process works effectively.

The Cabinet Member considered a report that presented information on the current year’s Target Hardening Fund allocations, as detailed in Annex 1 of the report. The report also contained recommendations on ways to improve the accessibility and awareness of the fund for future years.

The Cabinet Member was advised of the following correction to Annex 1 of the report: Scheme reference TH-11-08 – the allocation to Lindsey Avenue CCTV should read “£2,500”.

The Cabinet Member considered the following options:

Option 1 – retain the current level of promotion of the fund

(detailed in paragraph 9 of the report), which is

restricted to ward committees and key stakeholders working with them, Safer York

Partnership and North Yorkshire Police.

Option 2 – As option 1 and in addition promote the fund

internally via the council’s intranet to ensure a

joined up approach across the authority.

Option 3 – As option 2 and in addition promote the fund

publicly so that residents and organisations

active in the wards can make suggestions to the

relevant ward committee for funding applications.

The Cabinet Member stated that, although it was important that the Council and the Safer York Partnership’s priorities were reflected in the allocation of funding, he would nevertheless welcome increased transparency in the process.

In response to Councillor’s Healey’s suggestion that the funds be split across the Ward Committees, the Cabinet Member stated that he did not support this suggestion. He drew attention to the limited funding that was available and stated that it was important that it was not diluted to an extent that allocations could not fund worthwhile projects. It was also important that the schemes reflected targets that had been set in respect of crime reduction.

The Cabinet Member stated that he was mindful that, by approving the broader approach detailed in Option 3, the scheme may become more oversubscribed which may result in residents’ aspirations not being met. For this reason he suggested that officers ascertain whether there were opportunities to obtain additional funding for future allocations. He stated that it was also important that the process was reviewed in a year’s time.

Officers were thanked for their work in administering the allocations.