Finance and Performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee - Tuesday 12 March 2024, 6:00pm - Folkestone & Hythe webcasting

Finance and Performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee
Tuesday, 12th March 2024 at 6:00pm 

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  1. Slide 1Slide 1
  2. Cllr Connor McConville
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  1. Mr Jake Hamilton
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  1. Cllr Connor McConville
  2. Cllr James Butcher
  3. Cllr Connor McConville
  4. Cllr John Wing
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  1. Cllr Connor McConville
  2. Gavin Edwards
  3. Cllr Connor McConville
  4. Cllr James Butcher
  5. Gavin Edwards
  6. Cllr James Butcher
  7. Mr Jonathan Hicks
  8. Cllr Laura Davison
  9. Gavin Edwards
  10. Cllr Connor McConville
  11. Cllr John Wing
  12. Mr Jonathan Hicks
  13. Cllr Connor McConville
  14. Cllr Alan Martin
  15. Cllr James Butcher
  16. Cllr Connor McConville
  17. Mr Rod Lean
  18. Cllr Connor McConville
  19. Cllr Connor McConville
  20. Gavin Edwards
  21. Cllr Connor McConville
  22. Cllr Alan Martin
  23. Gavin Edwards
  24. Mr Jonathan Hicks
  25. Cllr Connor McConville
  26. Gavin Edwards
  27. Cllr Connor McConville
  28. Mr Jake Hamilton
  29. Cllr Connor McConville
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  1. Mr Rod Lean
  2. Cllr Connor McConville
  3. Cllr Laura Davison
  4. Mr Rod Lean
  5. Cllr Laura Davison
  6. Mr Rod Lean
  7. Cllr Connor McConville
  8. Cllr John Wing
  9. Cllr Connor McConville
  10. Mr Rod Lean
  11. Cllr Connor McConville
  12. Mr Rod Lean
  13. Cllr Connor McConville
  14. Cllr James Butcher
  15. Cllr Connor McConville
  16. Cllr Laura Davison
  17. Mr Rod Lean
  18. Cllr Connor McConville
  19. Cllr Laura Davison
  20. Mr Rod Lean
  21. Cllr Connor McConville
  22. Cllr John Wing
  23. Mr Rod Lean
  24. Cllr John Wing
  25. Mr Rod Lean
  26. Cllr Connor McConville
  27. Cllr James Butcher
  28. Cllr Connor McConville
  29. Cllr James Butcher
  30. Mr Rod Lean
  31. Cllr Connor McConville
  32. Cllr Laura Davison
  33. Cllr Connor McConville
  34. Mr Rod Lean
  35. Cllr Connor McConville
  36. Webcast Finished
Slide selection

Cllr Connor McConville - 0:00:06
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this meeting of the Finance and performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee. This meeting will be webcast live to the internet. For those who do not wish to be recorded or filmed, you will need to leave the Chamber for members officers and others speaking at the meeting. It is important that the microphones are used, so viewers on the webcast and others in the room. I hear you what anyone with a mobile phone, please switch it to silent mode as they can be distracting. I would like to remind Members that, although we have strong opinions on matters under consideration, it is important to treat Members, officers and public speakers with respect

1 Apologies for absence

thank you and good evening everyone,
I move on to the agenda item number 1 apologies for absence, thank you
Mr Jake Hamilton - 0:00:47
Chair, we have no apologies, as I can see.

2 Declarations of interest

Cllr Connor McConville - 0:00:51
item number 2 declarations of interest to any Members have any declarations of a personal prejudicial interest they wish to declare Councillor Butcher.
I declare an interest as director of opportunities and the same view
Cllr James Butcher - 0:01:02
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:01:04
counselling is quite dreadful to opportunists anymore.

3 Quarter 3 Performance Report 2023-24

Cllr John Wing - 0:01:08
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:01:11
so okay, item number 3, OK so our our quarter 3 performance report, which is coming up to the end of 31st of December, I'm right, and to introduce we have Kevin, thank you.
thank you, Chair and good evening members. This report provides an
Gavin Edwards - 0:01:27
update on the Council's performance for the third quarter of the 23 24 financial year, covering the 1st of October to the 31st of December 2023. The report enables the Council to assess progress against the key performance indicators that arise from the Council's corporate plan, the quarterly performance report which set out in front of you in appendix 1, where performance has not been met. The explanations have been given for the relevant service, leads and noted within the report. The report once considered by Members this evening will then be presented to Cabinet on the 20th of March. On a separate note, I'd like to take the opportunity to update members on the Folkestone Community Works and local development programme at the Cielo D
the Folkestone Community works are community led local development programme, which was delivered by the Council using EU grant funding, ended in September 2023 the programme focuses on supporting businesses and employment, growth in Folkestone, East Central Harbour and Broadmead wards, and the closure and overall performance of that programme was previously reported to Cabinet in June 2023.
following its operational closure of the programme, there has been an extensive process to complete its financial close with the Department for levelling up housing and communities, confirmation has been received from data that financial closure has been successfully completed and the feedback included the following commentary, thank you to all of the team and those projects involved in the success of FCW this is an play,
is amply demonstrated in its achievement of 95 points 8 9%, against the E R D F contracted expenditure target and the output achievement of 81.5 for per cent as an average measurement across the five e r d f output indicators this when considering the difficult set of circumstances that the FCW experienced during its delivery. This is remarkable, so I thought I'd just give the opportunity to update Members on that as well. I am happy to take any questions on the report. Thank you
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:03:21
thank Gavin for that for that extra information, so I open it up.
to to members, so they have anything they wish to to raise with regards to the the report.
Councillor Walshaw is that it is at half a hand, or is it not?
turning into a full-time.
yeah thank thanks, Chair.
Cllr James Butcher - 0:03:44
yeah, it was really a question about.
the quality homes, infrastructure service, ambition for and the number of affordable homes, and it was really just as supposed to note that when we're in full Council we were hearing about the annual demand for affordable homes 139 a year and I guess it's kind of recognising the challenge without looking at the what we've got at the moment in the report and I guess the question out there is obviously not gonna be answered here, but what plans do we have for closing that gap?
thank you, you have anything to respond, thank you for the question,
Gavin Edwards - 0:04:29
Councillor Butcher, what I will do is I will go back and speak with housing colleagues on that and obviously provides a common to explanation to the committee on on that or what we're doing to frequency close that gap.
yeah, I mean I appreciate it's a very, very big, I'm not not looking
Cllr James Butcher - 0:04:45
for a kind of neat answer, I suppose it's just wanting to acknowledge that.
huge amount of good work has gone on, and yet there's still not that huge challenge that is being met.
chair Councillor Mowat, something to that, yeah.
Mr Jonathan Hicks - 0:04:58
yeah, if you look in the report, it might not be clear, but we've got quarterly performance on affordable homes reported, and so we've actually got 62 delivered against 80 so far target for the year, and obviously the demand is going up so as part of the review of targets and
performance indicators in the corporate plan going forward, we will look to to seeing whether that can be improved, but I think we are on track at the moment to achieve that target of 80 by the end of this year.
yeah, I appreciate that I guess the point I was making them when you compare it with the need that's been assessed, it's a motion or just something, just on a on a point of clarity, and this is affordable homes delivered by the Council and its partners which has got green and then aim to maximise as soon as brackets of target and quiet and because it sounded like if it was green that meant it was on target but,
yes, there's probably not clear on there, I think what that means is that we are on target for the year cumulatively add three quarters point.
but actually, yes, that's probably just an error, oversight on that bit then changed, thank you.
Janice Davidson.
thank you Chair.
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:06:21
just the first indicator in terms of priority play areas, I'm wondering whether the intention to carry improvements to the coastal Park Play Area is going to be impacted by the landslips that we've seen.
and I wanted to check.
to scrolling ire with the streetlighting the conversion to lpd, it says the remaining 8% of street lighting to be converted has had to be reprogrammed due to increase costs officers are investigating whether some of the outstanding 56 assets could be removed from the programme to reduce the final cost of receiving if he if you take them out of the programme in some way, obviously they haven't been.
upgraded or converted, so what does that mean in relation to those particular assets is that a kind of paper exercise
where does that leave us in terms of the target thanks? Thank you for
Gavin Edwards - 0:07:23
both those comments on that. Councillor Davidson, with regards to the priority player is, I will go back and have a conversation with the engineering buildings team with regards to the to that is particularly on the point you raise with the coastal park and obviously with regards to the street lighting and noting the comments that you've made there him, I'll be happy to go away and have that conversation with the transportation lead specialist on that and have a conversation on where we are in terms of the comments you've raised and as I say, I'll provide a response to the committee on that.
Councillor White, thank you Chair.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:07:53
Cllr John Wing - 0:07:56
totally, they are battling rough sleepers, it's fair to say we still have a member in CCW, we're not increasing number of rough sleepers and it talks about the housing team will continue to offer services and advice. My first question supposes. This has been affected by the KCC. Cutbacks in Portugal are being cut back, and obviously I know the council do alarm portrait are quieter bit. Is it being affected by the cutbacks? Basically,
chair, I'll answer that one yeah, I don't know the specific answer to
Mr Jonathan Hicks - 0:08:26
that with regard to cut backs, I think the there are a number of issues that affect the rise in rough sleepers.
the attractiveness of the area for people to cut. We've seen an increase in people coming to the area and it could also be affected by the cost of living pe, unable to people are unable to sustain their tenancies. It's something that we're monitoring very closely. We have had historically quite low numbers so compared to what we used to these numbers are going up. Sadly, the way we're monitoring at the moment is these aren't people that have approached us to say that they're homeless. These are the council that we take on a weekly basis and then we work out on average, but from that we can see that the numbers are going up
yes, at some of the.
the EU agencies we work closely with are aware of the problem and you'll see the effect on that in terms of the numbers of people that were housing temporarily in temporary accommodation and bed and breakfasts that have gone up where we're looking for solutions for them, but yet it's something that we need to pay goes close attention to.
continued from that, no doubt the BnBs are actually harked in the last year middle we see we like it obviously to target 0 and hopefully we're heading that way, but it's nice to see that number is dropping anyway B&B.
thank you, thank you Chair
Councillor Mum.
thank you very much.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:10:00
I wasn't sure whether so some of my comments actually relate to all
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:10:04
questions relate to the the KPI as themselves, I don't know if it is that fine yeah.
so my first one, then on so on page 2021, where we're looking at the food premises.
I just wonder whether we, wherever we've got that at the right level, so one of my sense is generally when I looked at the caprices, we've got lots of greens, which is, on the one hand really good news, but it makes you wonder whether you've got the threshold in at the right level or whether we're monitoring the right things so I've got a few examples of that as I go through on this one.
so we've we've got quite high percentages of premises that are broadly compliant,
which is which is a 3 rating and above.
I personally don't go into.
I might misunderstand the criteria, but I personally wouldn't go into a restaurant with a free rating, I tend to go to one, which is which is four or five, I just wonder whether we've got that set at the right level and whether we should be a bit more ambitious, particularly given the fact that we're at 98.9% which seems we've got very good compliance.
I think with regards to thank you, Councillor Martin, for your question, I think, with regards to that that particular indicated the criteria that set there is obviously set in relation to the Food Standards Agency, so it's not something that we directly set, I think it's set by the criteria that is governed by the Food Standards Agency on that one yeah that's how it said OK,
and just on that, as it's partly my sort of day job as well, you know, as you might be aware of a food rating, is is a snapshot in time, so you know you could say everyone has a bad day and they could get an inspection and get it get a one or a two one, and that could be, you know that could be corrected very quickly within within a matter of months to her to go back up to a four or five so
I think if we did we, if we tried to to raise the limit it, might, it might skew the data a little bit in a way that
might might not be representational of the high quality establishments we have in the district,
yeah, I think that's fair.
and then, if I go to this, to have a look at my notes here, so on page 21, when we're looking at community safety.
community Safety events, so obviously that that looks really good. Yes, so certainly versus the target and versus the comparison with we're holding many more events, wishes wishes great news. I wondered whether we should have some kind of KPI that looks at what kind of engagement levels we have there, so I know speaking to the team that sometimes these are really well attended and sometimes less so, and I think that helps us. But we had one in
inlaid recently, which is really well attended in that that was so off the back of us actually working quite hard to make sure that it was well attended, I know other ones have been significantly less well attended, I just wonder whether it just had a bit more colour if we could bring in.
and an additional KPI just to just to monitor that, I think engagement is maybe a bit of a challenge for us as a as a Council, so it's probably not a bad thing for us to to look at.
OK.
and still am I, I find it a little bit through towards the end was losing, and I just ask Kevin about sort of next steps, because these these that they do get reviewed every year, so part of the zenith anyway, Members have any other questions or comments on the on the actual substantial parts of the the report Councillor Butcher,
yeah, I just want to say that our tendency is to zone in on the rates,
Cllr James Butcher - 0:14:05
of course, and ask questions about that, but I think plus was building on what I am saying you know there's so much positive there and a reminder of just the volume of activity that the council is delivering. I think it's phenomenal really, and I know you know, full Council talking about council tax and what the council tax is set out when you look at that in comparison to this huge amount of activity on behalf of our residents, I don't know to me it feels pretty impressive, really
Councillor Butcher
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:14:36
a couple of things from himself.
one was the the Romney, Marsh
businesses have obviously were not sort of looking to to make that target, and I mean it's good to see that we've that we've had some movement in that in the in the core of the reporting quarter.
but obviously it says it's not likely to be met due to the number of applications received so.
so seven approved applications for as I understand it, for the funds awarded in quarter 3, so we have an idea of how many applications amounts are as are or have been received outside of that, in terms of just that might let my help sort of get an idea of how how far short we might fall in the financial year.
Mr Rod Lean - 0:15:25
yeah, thanks for the question, yes, so OK, it sort of falls into my remit, so yes, there is a grant they're available, and that was mainly there to incentivise people to go into the hub as we were starting to to get that fills up and as a result of that's been very successful and we've we've we've we've got one vacant office down at the moment, so it's been highly successful initiative to get people in there.
the fund itself was from a previous one called the Marsh M and I think the aim now is to stop that Fund review it and then see how we can spend that money in the manner that was intended for originally, which is in the in the Romney Marsh area so we're looking to do that as part of the Romney Marsh partnerships of work and that's that's the aim so we're not too worried I think about the target not being met because I don't know if they felt it did its job.
essentially saying we want to safeguard that money to do some more good within the within that area, so it is fair to say that that KPI won't exist after the review for the next financial year.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:16:22
OK.
and then I guess the
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:16:29
the elephant in the room, I guess you know.
hour after hour, data breaches and and again.
the the the the figures there and obviously we have had reports back to this committee over training and one and all the things that have gone on with with regards to staffing, and then we still we still keep having you know the the comments, I guess you know because you can never rule out that that sort of level of human error so I didn't know what the what the f thinking was with within the officer team in terms of,
this KPI, and how are we measuring it in the right way, or you know when we never get it, we're never gonna see green ticks on those boxes, I mean if, if we do it, I'll I'll go out and about it on a lottery but yeah it'd be good to get an idea of the thinking just in terms of what what these K P ice might look like if, if there is any change or moving forward
sorry, thank you Chair, I just want you to quickly just go back to the
Gavin Edwards - 0:17:31
point that Councillor Martin raised with regards to the engagement we can look at, maybe to put some comments in the report around the levels of engagement to try and make that a little bit clearer going forwards just to note on that point.
in particular, with obviously regards to data breaches, and I just wanted to say just a very, very general in terms of the that that the process and where we are is you know we, we have a new team now, the governance, performance and risk team, so there will be a lot of looking at the processes and training and the performance and how we we we do things going forward, so that's all been put together into a really concise unit now as a team, so there'll be greater emphasis and focus on on how we do manage data breaches going forwards.
thank you.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:18:23
anything else from prime members, Councillor Martin, do you want to come back in?
Cllr Alan Martin - 0:18:30
it's just relating so on page 24, where you're you're laying out the different sort of.
warnings issued and so on, I was just wondering whether there is a way of
presenting that in the way that you can understand whether it's whether it's a good result or not, so you've actually got a red there where you're actually saying there's a there's a target of 10.
orders being put out and there's only been one, so it shows up as a red, but that that could actually be very good news in that there's only one because there haven't been any issues and is being well dealt with and then sort of on the flip side.
mean it looks like there are some superb.
effort going in because the numbers of notices being raised is is increasing, but I don't know whether it's possible to benchmark that against the number of complaints that have been received or something, so you understand the context in which that's
has been received, thank you for your comments on that Councillor
Gavin Edwards - 0:19:30
Martin, yet there is something we can, we can maybe look into again to talk we incorporating them into the report, I was how remote those those comments on that and I agree looking at that it probably doesn't look as clear when you when you're reviewing that.
if I can add to that thanks for the the question.
Mr Jonathan Hicks - 0:19:46
it's something I noted as well, and I think you're absolutely right, part of what we might be like might look to do is work more closely with the officers, and so they get a better understanding of what where this data goes.
because we're getting this information from from the teams, but looking exactly at that thing, that's what?
no.
this looks like it should be a good goodbye indicated. We haven't issued any, but we need to look more carefully about how this meets that service ambition and I think part of the review of the corporate plan in the next year will be to look at what is the ambition. What are we trying to do here is it is it to have better public spaces or issue more notices, but if issuing more notices is going to help help us have better spaces than it's a good thing, but yeah, you're right, this is it's difficult to say we've missed that indicator, but that's probably a good thing
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:20:44
and it might be helpful if, just to sort of we could have a little outline, I guess, in terms of.
the process, if you if you've got a bit of a thinking of it in terms of the KPI, is for for for the next financial year.
any possible amendments or changes. They'll go to Cabinet, but the potential for him obviously to either come to this committee or for this committee to feed into those. I don't know if you've got any sort of anything in the timeline, thoughts early thoughts about that sort of process. Just so we could have an early early heads up on that. I
Gavin Edwards - 0:21:21
think at the moment I mean, as as previous Chair we we did bring, I think you might recall from last time round for them for this current financial year we did bring the KPI amendments back with the annual report, which I believe came to this committee in June of last year. So we would shall should have an idea to present something for the for the committee to have it to have a say on and have a comment on before it goes prior to Cabinet. So at the moment we'll we'll work to those. Obviously those timescales, obviously subject to any other changes or amendments to any future timetables to do with the corporate plan, but we will stick with with that for the next sub-committee, due that's very helpful, so members, hopefully, will have, or have an opportunity
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:21:57
to to shape. I mean, I remember weep
he was the the charging points, I think it was, and it will be so yeah, this committee added a KPI into this this current year, there wasn't obviously thought about prior because of the decisions that were made from from Council and budgets and things like that so,
hopefully we'll get to have that discussion at a future meeting.
right, so obviously we just need to receive a note.
the reports Jake did you want proposals and seconder's, or are you happy for us just to agree if we can just get a bit more form, Miller
Mr Jake Hamilton - 0:22:35
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:22:38
will appease jackin son, proposed by Councillor Martin, thank you seconded by Councillor wing and all in favour noting the report, thank you very much and thank you were to Gavin and Jonathan and all the team I mean it's one of the one of the best reports in the Council, in my opinion it just keeps improving and evolving and it yeah, thank you very much.

4 UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) Update

right moving on to the next item Item number 4.
his an update on the UK shared prosperity fund or UK-US P F, and the rural England prosperity fund R, E, P F, and what I was gonna do to deliver an update on that force thanks.
Mr Rod Lean - 0:23:22
thank you Chair yesterday, the report really just outlines the update really on on the performance of the UK shared prosperity funds and also the rural England prosperity fund.
just as a kind of, or an overview of the UK shared prosperity fund was a million pound allocation to the council, we have put together an investment plan which outlined how we wanted to spend that money and it had to be based on need, the general consensus was to focus on the cost of living crisis that we had and that's what we've done.
so we created 3 3 elements to it, which was the homes, essential funds, the mobile pantry project, and then there was a skills element as well, so that's and that's in for year 3, so that's the year coming up with financial, you are coming up and that's to focus in on green skills and retrofitting skills.
to to help with the sort of net 0 target, and we are also focusing on the construction side as well, we feel that that's an area which will benefits the the local district area, the rural England prosperity funds that gave us a against similar process, an allocation of 578,000 pounds 17 78 or 71.
semantics there
it was year 5 7 1 7 0 5 7 8 essentially, that was there to do two things, firstly, to enable businesses in the rural part of the district to improve and enhance what they do so to diversify, potentially, so that could be a one.
a farm that may have some buildings that they want to release for some business use, as head of the grant can be used to help keep that out or, conversely, the business that wants to go in there can help them set up within within that establishment the other elements who, as the community as well so where we got community facilities within the district,
this fund was aimed to try and help them in terms of energy improvements, using solar panels, and things like that, so anything they felt that would benefit the the community, enhance the community assets that that grants there to to enable that to happen as well, so the report kind of outlines more detail around those two initiatives so happy to take questions on that thank you.
thanks very much wrote.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:25:52
just to try and keep the focus as it sort of it, naturally sort of splits into two parts. So although we focus on any sort of questions or queries relating to the the shared prosperity fund first, and then when we recover the Rural funds or second, if if that's OK with members, sorry open up to members for any comments, questions or anything relating to the shared prosperity fund element. Councillor Davidson yeah, I mean, I'll probably ask the same question in part 2,
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:26:25
but it was just really to get a kind of sense of how it's going from from your perspective, in just really kind of basic terms, so that we can we can understand
yeah, thank you so.
Mr Rod Lean - 0:26:42
that the UK shared prosperity fund, I think, is going really well, the food pantry element to it provided a sort of a mobile unit if you want that for a better description with the aim that would go round to different parts of the district.
to help with food, but also to help with the education of food and cooking and kind of how to do more with less using good vegetables, good ingredients, et cetera, we also had a wrap-around service in terms of the financial support as well so where people were finding it difficult in the cost of living crisis and how to budget and deal with certain debt levels, we've got sort of a full-time person who can also help with that aspect of of the the role as well and and being able to go out to these areas where people might not have.
access to transport or or ways to get into into the sort of towns, then that obviously helps them as well, and it's been really well received and we go into different locations, groping at 1.00 other location, the Rainbow Centre, other people who are kind of running the scheme for us and are doing a terrific job.
the added benefit of all of this is obviously bringing volunteers into it as well, so that has an enormous benefits not only for helping to deliver the service itself, but also the the positive effects of social interaction with those that might be sort of on their own and wanting to volunteer, etc so there's lots of pluses in that area as well, so I think from the food pantry point of view it's going really really well on the other, on the other side of the cost of living elements we're obviously putting out different components, so we're dealing with
servicing people's boilers, so the aim was ready to go out there and help people who were to have a low income families who may be home home occupiers and have a sort of boilers and other sort of white goods that are particularly efficient so haven't been service properties, therefore they're doing two things we're using more energy which is not grateful the CO2 side of things but also is costing money as well, so the aim was to try and go in there.
and and help with some of that. So there are things called tune ups are going in and helping people with their with their boilers given tune ducks as quite a costly exercise and also replacing boilers, whether beyond their though their life really and any kind of re, replacing them with more efficient ones. There's also white goods as well, so it and replacing old white goods with some new white goods and is quite strict criteria as well to meet. So it's not just to be not just giving them out to anybody that there is a strict criteria, they have to go through as well, but again that's that's that's going well, the boiler replacement. I think we can reallocate some of the money because I think next year we're getting a larger Trump tranche of money
so the aim is to probably reallocate that money into another initiative, so we'd be looking for ideas and that would welcome ideas from from the Committee here, as well as to maybe how we can tick the box in terms of the cost of living sorry criteria that we've decided to to go along so if anybody has got any ideas please put them forward but there will be an allocation of money I think there there's the bed project as well and that's really is around the
and I believe it or not, there's lots of families out there who don't have access to beds, especially the children, so when they go to school, their attainment levels are lower because they're not getting a good night's sleep, so that's been extremely popular and that's through.
Andrew Hatch's team, so when this this project came up and this allocation of money, he kind of was re, desperate to get hold of some of the money to enable that to continue so again that that's been very popular and will continue to be popular, and that's kind of sad in one respect, but good that we are able to to help with that as well. So that includes not just beds and mattresses that's also bedding and and other things as well, just to help with, we are going to get a good night's sleep for those children and those families. So I think overall again I think that's going really well the skills element is is is gonna come on stream, we're where we are quite excited by that and we're looking forward to symptom to moving. That forward has got three sort tranches. As you can see from the report, there are two of those we're hoping to work with East Kent College to and I have to go to a procurement process. So you know there haven't got haven't won the won, the the actual Commission as yet has to go through a process, but they'll be in the mix, and they'd be very helpful in developing it, and they're aware that they have to procure the other have to compete for that for that work, and then there's the element where we're working with local businesses independent businesses to try and see whether the
their business can benefit from small upskilling programmes that will align to their business need but also may align to the green agenda so they can upskill their members of staff, they identify the course and we will essentially pay that, but again as a criteria that will they will have to go through so a long winded answer to your question Councillor Davidson, but I think overall is going very well.
to come back on that yeah, I mean I found that really helpful. Thank
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:31:37
you, and just in terms of the the tape, the table, the targets in the table, the project targets versus the accumulative total of the project targets across what period of time. I wasn't quite clear, and where there's a quite a significant gap between the target and the total is, is that indicative that more work needs to be done in terms of spreading the word about these projects, or what's the reason why there hasn't been more progress in terms of those totals. Is it just the stage of where we're at or that would be helpful to understand
Mr Rod Lean - 0:32:14
yeah has always, when you're setting up these projects right at the beginning, you're asked to give specific among in this particular case targets, so you set yourself targets and you're trying to set them thinking about what you're gonna do with that project at the time of setting those targets they they were set when we were just giving an outline of what the project might be so it was very difficult to then set them, so we we set those in a couple of them are fairly ambitious but
we've got plans in place on how to to deal with those. I think overall
because at that table that you've got there was from September 23, so obviously we're now in in March 24, so that has moved on, so we can give you updates on that and I can I can send those through. So we are closer to that number, but the other element to too to realise, as well as that the money that we got from central government doesn't come out come over there's a million pounds in that particular case as in UK share prosperity, but it doesn't come over in three even tranches, so you've got a very small tranche, which is about 100,000 per year one, and there was about 200 a year too, and we've got 700,000 coming in for a year, 3, so that will obviously show within the targets that we that we meet. So we're fairly confident we'll meet that. There is one, there is about 10,000, but I think I think we're about 5,000 and five and a half thousand, but we feel fairly confident we'll we'll we'll reach that target,
Councillor when?
thank you Chair.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:33:42
Cllr John Wing - 0:33:45
starting off with the homes this century, it sounds like a really good project and it's good work being, I suppose, if we start talking about double glazing, it gets difficult as if it's social housing see cow muck crossed. Are we not allowed to use it for improving on Stockholm and now, because I understand that up that be difficult, the mobile pantry, with my other hat on I've worked quite closely with the Rainbow Centre helping to set this up. It is being really successful and I believe chosen. They started operating in charity in this week
obviously we had teething problems as a wee scheme stool, but it's been really popular and in fact the mow the poetry and HIV now virtually shut early on the Monday, so the volunteers and God help the pad, yeah yeah, sort really helping and it's really working well.
I just hope the money will come through, he hit me here by these government schemes, and then the money to stop something happens in inner, we've got these great plans in it's a fantastic thing and then the money to solve it, notwithstanding that a transfer after all but hopefully he can continue it sounds a really good projects and well done but explained thank you.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:34:52
for myself, just clarification with the
the the mobile pantry projects and the the outline projects there, I mean, has the, As has there been any of the the sort of thing they add on the cookery classes, the education as any of that sort of happened as yet, or is it still something to come through in the remaining time of the project?
so yes, yes, I think there's this demonstrations as the busy mobile
Mr Rod Lean - 0:35:22
phone van goes out, but there's also the work with East Kent College.
and they're looking to do one in September, which is a kind of a course, proper course, dedicated course, and then it's good, they're gonna do another one, I think about January, I think 25, but I can come back to you so they've got to they're doing a pilot wants to see how that goes.
and to pick up on Councillor wings point is trying to see whether we can come up with a sustainable way to continue the because it is a bit of a cliff edge at the moment because we don't know what's going to happen afterwards, and so if we can come up with a scheme that works and we know it works and there may be opportunities to try and see how we can bring in money to enable that to continue. OK, yeah, thanks for
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:36:04
that, yeah gone a bit quiet on that front, so I'll I'll make sure I'm
I make sure I put that in my diary.
and
I guess with the
but those with the skills staff to to happen are you are you envisaging it, sort of all the funding sort of being being channelled into other organisations, or is there stuff that you expect the council to do with some of that funding? I'm just saying it, you know, or some sort of like skills fair or something that's there's more purely focused on on that green, those green skills, those green agendas. Do you know just sort of
those those sort of side events, if you like, that you know that sort of increase, the sort of the the the the buzz and the the enthusiasm for for those is there any thinking of of any of using any of the funding for any of that or is it purely gonna be channelled into into the delivering organisations?
Mr Rod Lean - 0:37:00
thank you for the question, yeah, I think at the moment is channelling in about two elements of the game into an organisation, and then the other element is a bit like the the rural England prosperity funding that we've got a grant programme, it will set up, so there'll be a, however criteria how to access it, which will be around those there's bespoke courses to further for the various businesses within the district and will administer all of that and we'll kind of
run that in-house, but there are opportunities I think through.
and we're just doing the tendering for the other two elements, and we could sort of weave that in potentially and to see whether there's an opportunity to sort of do a bit of a a launch event and and we've got the inspires Marsh Marsh inspires event coming up as well later on this month which again will be promoting what we're doing here for this particular initiative as well at that particular.
event so yeah, we'll be potentially could organise that.
going forward, I think that's a possibility again depends who wins and how they they, they structure their their response, but I think if we can do some added value elements within the within the actual tender, then I think there could be some opportunities, as could you Councillor Butcher.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:38:14
yeah just really, really impressive, and good and good to hear about
Cllr James Butcher - 0:38:17
those projects, fantastic and I, you were saying about the relocation of some of the boiler funding and ideas for the antenna if this is a bit ambitious, but I wonder whether there's any opportunity for some kind of participatory budgeting approach because the that there's something about officers or members coming up with ideas for what we think the people who need this sort of funding would most benefit from, but there'll be something really powerful about working with those groups to discover what they would really find useful that feels more empowering, but I know that's kind of an ambitious thing to undertake Burton
maybe worth looking at.
okay.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:38:55
were done on that side of then, members have anything they wish to ask or clarify with regards to the the rural side of the off of the of the of the fund consultation.
so I just ask my how is it going question?
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:39:12
Mr Rod Lean - 0:39:18
thank you, Councillor Davidson, again where we were inundated, believe it or not, with applications on this particular scheme, both on the community and the business side, which which is great, we had a panel, the first panel is this week.
it is another 1 June next week and I think we're oversubscribed in terms of the amounts of money that that could mean that we are not allocated for this financial year, so that's really positive.
there's get some both energy efficient grants within there, so there's the solar panels for some of the the community centres, there's some business diversification businesses as well.
and as you know, there's there's quite a whole, whole raft of them, I can give you some details in terms of what those those businesses, although those applications are, if you're not on the panel, you can see those, but he's quite a variety and quite a quite quite a good spread as well in terms of the location within the district obviously as its kind of channel towards the rural so it didn't generally means that.
HIV focused in and Sangeeta out of the out of the picture on that one and all the other areas are within within the rural
within the rural area. So yeah, it is, it's going extremely well. I think I don't think it'd be long before we have the money spent, if I'm honest, so we can be quite particular about that to make sure that we choose the right projects to make sure we get the added value and obviously you can get those added jobs, that's what it's about kind of resilience in businesses, that's really critical on the business side and also if there's one where they're diversifying their business, if they can then demonstrate there's gonna be job creation, that could be great and it could even be a link to the skills as well. Somehow, if we if we're quite clever with it,
so yeah, we were very optimistic and it's it's been run very well and we've got a very good system if he'd be go online, you can see the application, it's all kind of online and electronic as opposed to the paper format, and we've done what's called an e, I an expression of interest for us because very often people spend hours doing an application and then they get rebuffed. We felt that, as you just do, and 0 I say you just do to sit outline of what your project is and we can tell you whether it's aligned to the criteria or not, and if it's not at that stage we can say yeah, don't bother or if it's good, please continue with it, so at least it doesn't waste everybody's time, so we think that's a really good initiative as well
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:41:41
there was yeah that's helpful, thank you, I don't know if you can say anything about the transport part of it, because that feasible to know
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:41:45
perhaps how that's developing and other criteria are they with a government, set criteria or are they local criteria and how have they been come up with in terms of people applying for the funding?
so dealing with the criteria question. First, there was a bit of both
Mr Rod Lean - 0:42:02
actually, but we've we've learned quite a lot from all other grant applications that we've done through the COVID grants that we'd see of et cetera, so there's a lot of LA lessons learnt on those, so I think that's enabled us to come up with a really good right level of criteria as well, to enable businesses to go in there be quite ambitious, but at the same time that you know they have to meet certain key criteria. So I think we've got that balance about right. I think there, but there was if there was a couple of
central government elements that we had to sort of incorporate in in terms of the transport projects we've got 50,000 allocated for that, and that was to be allocated really to help with the
kind of a high speed, rural bus from the New Romney area through into the Folkestone or Ashford, and there's been lots of discussions going on with stage, coach and other bus providers KCC, as well, to see whether we can unlock something there to make it happen. As, as you know, the the bus situation is is not great and there is a concern that if we put one service on that, might have a knock-on effect to another service. So we were reminded of that as well, because what we want to do with this particular service has enabled people, both young and people who are going through jobs, and people who need a hospital to get there quickly rather than going on a bus that might take a couple of hours. So we were trying to find a fast route that then, hopefully, opens up opportunities both for training and for and for job opportunities as well. But we the does the balance, but we are working hard at the moment, so I can't say too much, but there are some positives, things are emerging, but we've kept that allocation there if we don't get it, because again, this has to be spent by March 25. If that doesn't look like it's gonna be spent, then we'll reallocate that probably into the grant programme, because it's going so well, we've got plenty of money, I think to
there are plenty of projects that require money to to utilise that that fund potentially, but where we're, we're keeping that in their allocated 4 for the transport, and you will also notice the coastal dry project, as well as the other allocation of money from the rural England prosperity fund.
thanks very much for Councillor Wyn.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:44:20
picture, just a bit of clarification, from me, really mean it starts
Cllr John Wing - 0:44:26
off, saying no graphs in 3,000 up to 30,000, and obviously the two grants that have been mentioned is where over that is that for the whole course we know it's at 30,000 a year or this way it says maximum 30,000 0 per animal health is as you work, yeah, so that's the amount of business can apply for
in terms of in any business can come in. Here is what I want to do,
Mr Rod Lean - 0:44:48
and then they can go from 3,000 to 30,000 generally, the higher ones is gonna be quite exceptional, but the allocation of money overall is split over the two years of the effort of the fund running, so there's 140 odd thousand for the first year and then the remainder in the second year, and that's just for the for the grant allocation. So I think overall we've got something like 350 k allocated for the grant application process, so the other money goes to the coastal dry project, which is about 100,000 and then 50 k goes towards the transport and there's an added an element of money. I think we were looking at. Transport is keeping in reserve to see whether we could fly flexi between whichever one runs well, so I don't know if I answered your question. Yes, about 150 is almost separate, with 30,000 are talking about. Yes, there are several things and just being filled with poor gravy shortages and everything is. I'm glad you said about AVU, because don't forget this, my my car, Councillor Burgess, that and here mean the big Eelam especially around Hawkinge. I also read
Cllr John Wing - 0:45:53
the report. You think, what's on ma y all the money going to the mouse, but it's not, in fact, to dissuade these two big are happened to be on a mouse, I'm sure with other money been allocated place at Hawkins and it had been spread out evenly. Do have you looked at Jew, Gaelic Otley as well as everything else, so I'm saying merely
could you stay with me for two seconds, I'll just bring up an e-mail.
Mr Rod Lean - 0:46:21
sorry, the computers, just a satellite just bear with me I can send I can send around the the.
alocal that, although projects that are gonna be
presented at the Panel I can send those out, so you can see the geographical splits, I haven't looked at them in great detail in terms of, but I do know there are there, they are all over the the district just bear with me.
so Romney, Marsh Hawkins, Elham.
Sellindge yeah.
yeah, so yes, it's a good spread, there's a good spread there, yeah yeah.
can I just ask Rod in terms of?
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:47:18
the Panel, or whoever whoever ultimately decides the awarding.
is there is there a Ward Member representation because we have it on the green grant as well? There is a carry out script
Councillor Butcher
yeah, just it is certainly my experience.
Cllr James Butcher - 0:47:37
your microphone, Councillor Butcher.
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:47:43
on the rural grants has been a really exciting thing for people to
Cllr James Butcher - 0:47:48
hear about we. We had a meeting of the North Downs Forum a few weeks back and Councillor Holgate was there, so we had shopkeepers and local business owners just talking about the challenges they face and to actually have something that we could say to them. Well, you know this might be something's applicable and I think is really really encouraging for people who are at times struggling to to be sustainable. So I think that's much appreciated and you might have explained this, but I don't think I've quite understood, so we've we've got a pot of money, that's the royal grant, then the released to the two big projects, so what was the process for settling on the coastal destination projects and the transport project
as opposed to anything else
like I said in terms of the sort of split, I think the coastal
Mr Rod Lean - 0:48:35
destination project, I think it was felt it was a really important one for that particular location from a tourism point of view, and there's some businesses there as well, so hopefully we'll we'll
who go on site, and I think, obviously with the struggles in terms of the council budgets and also the fact that costs had gone up in terms of construction costs there when that project was initiated has taken quite a long time to get to where it is now, I think costs had gone up, so he wanted to make sure we had a buffer within this particular one because it tick those boxes really well, and that's what that's why we allocated that allocated at that level of money and in terms of the transport. One again, that was a project, that's been talked about for a couple of years now and there has been Mom rings and and people getting quite excited by it because it's been quite volatile in terms of the bus network and the funding opportunities of the bus networks. Get
I think that's left a bit of ambiguity in terms of what money is out there, so there's no decisions that have been made, there are schemes within KCC that we've applied for as well to see whether we can try and get something mobilised to get something started up. So again I think it's a case it's been quite volatile but we wanted to allocate that 50,000 because that's something that we identified quite early on in that particular projects kind of lifecycle
and that's how we came up with it, and then the written remainder was then split into those that the vulval grants. Essentially,
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:50:06
anything else from Members, Councillor Davidson, yeah, thank you, I think, just going back to what you were saying about, if there's
Cllr Laura Davison - 0:50:13
potential reallocation and looking for ideas on things think it would be really helpful if it's possible for all councillors to have an update on the funds and how they are progressing and, as Councillor Butcher was saying, then to perhaps invite Councillors to have a think about projects that they might be aware of or they could speak with, you know, projects in their own areas in terms of suggestions, to come back, that could just make sure that there is that kind of board.
knowledge of of what's happening and the possibilities that might be there for people to put forward
we can stay with some fairness, as well as linking into that we are a
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:50:52
Finance Sub-Committee, so I was looking at the numbers, so you know, just in in in section 4 of of the report, mainly with the UK ESPN I mean you sort of looking to,
use all your allocation in in this current year, I mean it's a done 90,000 to mid-year, so didn't know that was obviously some time ago, so I don't know if there's a more accurate figure to were to that, so in terms of getting that that that 2 18 utilised within year,
Mr Rod Lean - 0:51:33
yeah, I think overall of budgets 3 allocation is good, I think we're gonna be about 13,000 underspend has been open and honest, we were we could rush it and spend it and we could do it, but we don't wanna do that we check with.
colleagues, it's central governments and they have happy for us to start to roll it over, and that's what we wanna do to make sure that we don't waste money unnecessarily and that enables us to then still get the release because the way that Delap runs they release the money. When you spend a certain percentage of your allocation, they weren't released if you haven't met that, so we've done really well, we've met that allocation even though that there was quite a few delays to start with from central government, so as the we're in a good place, but we are about 13,000, but the overall underspend this year
OK, that's fine and obviously next year is a very big year for the
Cllr Connor McConville - 0:52:23
project, isn't it, so we look forward to to update, not really to work to to sort of dwell on too much, but I think you know, I think it would be good to work to revisit this towards the end of the project.
with an idea of just looking on the legacy of it and and you know and what we as a Council might might want to take some of the best parts of it and and find a way if there's no future central government funding, but we think it's valuable then to have those discussions like we've done in other in other projects that with the we've sort of carried on ourselves outside of central government funding but a conversation for a route for the four when it comes back to us towards the close of the project perhaps,
anyone else have anything to add quite well, thank you very much for for the update and very very informative report and again just to receive a note.
Jake?
proposed by Councillor Davidson.
seconded by myself and all in favour of noting the report, thank you very much, and that's the only two items we have this evening, so thanks very much for your time and have a lovely evening