Agenda item

There will be an open discussion and presentation about how it is proposed that the budget for 09/10 will be allocated. We will ask for the meeting’s approval of the proposed budget/schemes list.

Cllr. Scott introduced the ward committee budget for 2009-10.

The ward committee budget comes before the council budget is decided, so the overall budget is an estimate. We are therefore working on the possibility that it might be cut slightly, so a figure of £36,000.

We have divided the schemes by ward ambition. The York Pride budget also offers potential funding to projects in the ward, and although the ward has no say over the budget we can cooperate with Street Environment to get best value for the ward. We also need to plan for contingencies, especially as there is a time lapse between suggestions for schemes and grants, voting, and budget allocation. We also find that the ward committee budget sometimes functions as an enabler, encouraging funding to come from other sources and therefore allowing some funds to come back to the ward committee. Ward committee funding can have a multiplier effect on the money provided. So the alley-gating schemes have been completed with the police and Safer York Partnership and complete street-lighting schemes have been rather than just improve patches.

Under Safer Communities, we are going to try to address the anti-social behaviour problem at Wigginton Terrace, improve street lighting based on the cost of the Hambleton Terrace scheme, continue alley-gating and try to secure other sources of funding for it, and create a home safety fund. We are looking for ideas about how we can improve home safety and if none are forthcoming we can redirect the funds elsewhere.

Q. Why weren’t all of these on the ballot?

A. Because we have more money than we expected.

Q. Is there money available from elsewhere for street lighting? Should street lighting be coming out of the ward committee budget?

A. York Council is leading the way in participatory budgeting and other councils are following.

Q. The council only maintain existing street lighting, the budget for new lighting is with the ward committees.

A. Yes

Under a cleaner environment, we are funding preventative measures against dog-fouling. We have had requests for skips, etc. and so we have an environment fund to cover this. We are also looking for ideas about recycling and at the possibility of having a Smart Meter loan scheme within Clifton.

Q. Aren’t the libraries offering a Smart Meter loan scheme?

A. Yes, but there are only four. This one would possibly be based at Clifton library.

We have a young people’s fund so that we can respond to their wants and needs. We will also fund Global for a five day event, contribute towards Young People’s Service and the Fund for the Gifted.

Under an inclusive ward, we will provide grants to Clifton and Bootham Out and About Club, Arts Action York and Older Citizen’s Advocacy York. We will also provide funding to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, CARS Fun Day and the Clifton Planning Panel.

Cllr. King and Cllr. Douglas also sit on the Planning Panel (Committee?)

Q. (GW) Shouldn’t the planning panel be dealt with centrally?

We retain a contingency fund in case something comes up during the year.

Q. Did the figure of £5,000 for young people replace £4,190? Could we get positive feedback from young people – who’s taking part? Is the fund delivering what’s required?

Q. Can you carry money over from year to year?

A. If we have money left over this year, it is likely we’ll lose it.

Q. We have money left over from the Burton Stone Plaque project, we don’t want to lose it.

A. We’ve had a suggestion for how to spend this money which will be discussed later in the meeting.

Q. Is there a directory of activities for young people? There are dozens of organisations offering activities.

A. There is no single directory. There is a publication called Out & About which identifies activities throughout the city, but it doesn’t always reach its audience. There have been efforts to get that publication into classrooms.

Q. Will there be enough in the budget?

A. We’ve chosen to create funds so that we have some flexibility.