Community Investment and Local Action Partnership Funds 2023-24
Perth and Kinross Council · 21 June 2023
Back to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee — 21 June 2023 and its agenda
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee Wednesday 21 June 2023 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AND LOCAL ACTION PARTNERSHIP FUNDS 2023/24 Head of Culture & Communities Services (Report No. 23/194) 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This report sets out proposals for delivering the Community Investment Fund (CIF) and Local Action Partnership funding in 2023/24. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 It is recommended that Committee approves (i) the proposals for delivering CIF in 2023/24 including the timeline and proposed changes to the CIF process (para 5.2) (ii) the move to disaggregated budgets for Perth City (Wards 10/11/12) (para 5.3) (iii) the recommended funding formula option for distributing CIF across wards (para 5.5) (iv) the proposals for Participatory Budgeting to be delivered with Local Action Partnerships in 2023/24; the proposed timeline and recommended funding formula across Local Action Partnership areas (para 5.11 – 5.13) 3. STRUCTURE OF REPORT 3.1 This report is structured over the following sections: • Section 4: Background/Main Issues • Section 5: Proposals • Section 6: Conclusion • Appendices 4. BACKGROUND 4.1 The Community Investment Fund (CIF) was established in 2018/19 with two main goals: • involve local people and communities in decisions about how Council funding is distributed; • support investment in projects which tackle local inequalities and improve quality of life.
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4.2 Since then just over £2,000,000 of Council funds have been allocated through CIF, supporting almost 400 individual applications from community groups. 4.3 Local Action Partnerships (LAPs) were established in 2015/16 (Report 15/535) to enable local community planning as required by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015. LAPs are tasked with identifying and tackling local socio-economic inequalities through a Locality Action Plan and devolved budget. 4.4 LAPs have played a role in CIF Ward Panels spending decisions from the outset. They have also used their core funding to help deliver their Locality Action Plan priorities and respond to local needs such as the community response to COVID. LAPs also previously played a central role in Community Grants Participatory Budgeting exercises in 2017 and 2018. 4.5 A Transformation Review of the Council’s approach to community engagement and empowerment is underway and will report to Council in late 2023/early 2024 (Report 22/142 refers). This work includes options appraisal and engagement on the future shape of local community planning arrangements. 5. PROPOSALS 5.1 The 2023/24 revenue budget has committed a further £400,000 for CIF to continue to support projects which tackle inequality and a further £200,000 for LAPs to carry out Participatory Budgeting focused on climate change priorities at a local level. A summary of both schemes is at Appendix 1. It is proposed that the funds are managed as follows: Community Investment Fund – Grants 5.2 It is recommended that the CIF operates broadly as it has to date, with some minor changes as set out below. Funding would continue to be divided and administered on a ward-by-ward basis, with a Ward Panel made up of local community members and Ward Councillors assessing applications and agreeing the funding to be awarded. Recommended changes are: a. Where possible Councillors will desist from voting on Ward Panels. This is to ensure the process is genuinely community led. However it is recognised that this is only practical where there are more than five members of a Ward Panel. It is already the practice on some Ward Panels. In Ward 8 (Kinross-shire) responsibility for CIF is devolved to the pilot Kinross-shire Local Committee (KLC). The pilot is currently being evaluated and recommendations for the future continuation of the KLC will be submitted to Council for consideration in early 2024. For this round of CIF, responsibility for determining CIF applications will remain with the KLC.
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b. Applications for both capital and revenue funding will continue to be supported with criteria adjusted for capital projects to ensure funding is targeted at improving local assets most in need; c. Introduction of an integrated on-line process for applications; assessment; decision making; award making; and grant monitoring. d. Full screening of applications at the initial stage with applications re- routed to other more suitable funds, where appropriate e. Greater emphasis will be placed on tackling inequalities and delivering against PKC Corporate Plan priorities. Guidance will be issued to Ward Panels asking them to give additional weight to those projects which make the clearest links to these issues, or projects which are based in communities where evidence suggests socio-economic inequality are more significant. This approach will be supported by directing applicants and Ward Panel members to locality profiles as a key source of information. f. Applications from groups will be prioritised where the applicant group has not previously been awarded CIF money of more than £3,000 in the last three years, and providing the wider CIF criteria are met. 5.3 In June 2021 (Report 21/83 refers), elected members in Perth City agreed to amalgamate the CIF allocation across wards 10, 11 and 12. This was because of the number of multiple CIF applications being submitted for all three wards for essentially the same project, by organisations which operate city-wide. It was also due to some applications for transboundary projects, where the ultimate beneficiaries could be located in a different ward to where the organisation was based. There has been debate about the benefits and drawbacks of either an aggregated or disaggregated approach and for this round of CIF, it is proposed that a disaggregated budget is provided for the three Perth City wards, as outlined in the table in 5.5 below. This will also require some additional CIF criteria for applicants in Perth City: • submit a single application for projects intended for delivery across 2 or more city Wards, demonstrating how the project will deliver on a city-wide basis , or • submit a single application for one ward, setting out the specific intended project beneficiaries/impact within that ward. 5.4 The report recommends a return to a disaggregated approach as outlined above. However, if an aggregated approach is preferred, then an overall budget of £136,090.23 will be available for Perth City. Clarity on the approach will be necessary before CIF opens for applications from w/c 26 June 2023. Community Investment Fund 2023/24 Budget 5.5 Based on previous CIF rounds, funding available in each ward would be as below. Figures for the three Perth City wards are provided on the basis of them being disaggregated as outlined in paragraph 5.3.
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Ward Initial Funding Population Per Capita Top-Up 2022/23 Underspend Total Funding 1 – Carse of Gowrie £16,667 9,893 £12,993 £8,002.70 £37,662.70 2 – Strathmore £16,667 15,360 £20,153 £17,087.24 £53,907.24 3 – Blairgowrie & The Glens £16,667 11,278 £14,805 - £31,472.00 4 – Highland £16,667 9,217 £12,340 - £29,007.00 5 – Strathtay £16,667 12,841 £16,850 - £33,517.00 6 – Strathearn £16,667 10,899 £14,300 - £30,967.00 7 – Strathallan £16,667 11,967 £15,705 £18,278.47 £50,650.47 8 – Kinross-shire £16,667 14,630 £19,195 - £35,862.00 9 – Almond & Earn £16,667 9,495 £12,875 - £29,542.00 10 – Perth City South £16,667 15,835 £20,775 £8,436.41 £45,878.41 11 – Perth City North £16,667 12,317 £16,170 £8,436.41 £41,273.41 12 – Perth City Centre £16,667 18,178 £23,835 £8,436.41 £48,938.41 TOTALS £200,004 151,910 £199,996 £68,677.64 £468,677.64 Local Action Partnerships – Participatory Budgeting 5.6 Participatory Budgeting (PB) is about communities (whether living in the same locality or a community of interest) deciding how public money is spent on the projects which matter most to that community. Decisions are determined by public vote. 5.7 The Council has previously supported two Participatory Budgeting rounds, in 2017 and 2018, supported by Scottish Government funds. Officers worked with communities to develop the successful projects and make them happen on the ground. Over £320,000 was awarded to around 250 projects and over 30,000 individual votes being cast. 5.8 In Perth and Kinross, there are now 9 Community Action Plans (CAPs) overseen by Development Trusts and all of the CAPs contain actions to address climate change at a local level. Where Development Trusts are not established, there are other strong ‘anchor’ community organisations in place across the area. It is therefore proposed that officers work with Development Trusts and other community organisations within each of the 7 Local Action Partnership areas to deliver Participatory Budgeting initiatives focused on climate change. This is proposed as the focus because all CAPs include climate change priorities within them, and the issue is an effective way of engaging wider communities of interest including young people. Potential projects may include the setting up of community growing schemes such as orchards and allotments, growing and selling local produce and the rewilding of wildflower meadows and road borders. 5.9 This approach would complement the work of the PKC Climate Change Team, which is also using PB to allocate funding via the Innovate UK Pioneering Places Scheme in Aberfeldy and Tulloch. This will support projects which seek to take climate action around four key themes, listed below, in June 2023. If successful, the Council aims to extend it subject to a Phase 2 bid for Pioneering Places money in 2024.
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• Home • Getting around • Local business • Living well locally 5.10 This combined approach via the LAPs and work in Aberfeldy and Tulloch will help to deliver against PKC Corporate Objectives on climate change, as well as demonstrate our commitment to co-production with communities and devolved decision making. LAP Participatory Budgeting 2023/24 Budget 5.11 As with the Community Investment Fund, it is proposed that the PB money is distributed on the basis of population across each LAP area. This is shown below. As the table sets out, four of the LAPs have underspends from 2022/23 of over £12,000. These have been added to the total 2023/24 funding ‘pot’ in the relevant LAP. 5.12 To ensure LAPs retain some flexibility for funding other priorities in the course of 2023/23, a 20% topslice of total LAP funding is proposed. The table identifies this amount for each LAP. There is also £3,145 unallocated LAP funding and this will be used to cover the central costs of organising the PB process. Local Action Partnership Population Proportion of Funding Underspend Total Funding PB Budget (80%) Core Budget (20%) Eastern Perthshire 36,531 £47,850 £100.22 £47,950.22 £38,360.18 £9,590.04 Highland 9,217 £12,075 £12,504.91 £24,579.91 £19,663.93 £4,915.98 Strathtay 12,841 £16,820 £34,570 £51,390.00 £41,112.00 £10,278.00 Strathearn & Strathallan 22,866 £29,950 £2,195.39 £32,145.39 £25,716.31 £6,429.08 Kinross-shire 14,630 £19,165 £15,664.81 £34,829.81 £27,863.85 £6,965.96 Almond & Earn 9,495 £12,440 £17,434.53 £29,874.53 £23,899.62 £5,974.91 Perth City 46,330 £61,700 £699.70 £62,399.70 £49,919.76 £12,479.94 TOTALS 151,910 £200,000 £83,169.56 £283,169.56 £226,535.65 £56,633.91 Timescales/Implementation 5.13 Subject to Committee approval of these wider proposals, it is recommended that the CIF opens for applications from w/c 26 June and the Participatory Budgeting programme opens from w/c 30 October. Indicative timelines are below and set out in Appendix 1 within a wider summary of these proposals.
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Community Investment Fund • w/c Monday 26 June: CIF opens for applications • Friday 18 August: deadline for applications. • w/c Monday 28 August: Ward Panels assess and decide on applications • w/c Monday 23 October: applicants informed of outcome and payments made to successful applicants Participatory Budgeting – Local Action Partnerships • September / October – Council officers work with CAPs to develop project ideas. • w/c Monday 30 October – Applications open. • w/c Monday 04 December – close for applications. • w/c Monday 15 January – voting opens on the webpage. • w/c Monday 26 February – public events are held in Local Action Partnership locality to showcase projects. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 Community Investment Fund and Local Action Partnerships funding have supported a variety of community initiatives across Perth and Kinross. This report outlines proposals for delivering a round of CIF and a Participatory Budgeting initiative focused on Climate Change through Local Action Partnerships in 2023/24.
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Authors Name Designation Contact Details Lee Haxton David Stokoe Community Planning Team Leader Service Manager (Communities) (01738) 475000 ComCommitteeReports@pkc.gov.uk Approved Name Designation Date Barbara Renton Executive Director (Communities) 14 June 2023 APPENDICES • Appendix 1 – Summary of Funding Schemes
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ANNEX 1. IMPLICATIONS, ASSESSMENTS, CONSULTATION AND COMMUNICATION Strategic Implications Yes / None Community Plan / Single Outcome Agreement Yes Corporate Plan Yes Resource Implications Financial Yes Workforce None Asset Management (land, property, IST) None Assessments Equality Impact Assessment None Strategic Environmental Assessment None Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) None Legal and Governance None Risk None Consultation Internal None External None Communication Communications Plan None 1. Strategic Implications Community Plan/Single Outcome Agreement 1.1 This report supports all of the priorities within the Community Plan 2022-27. (i) Reducing Poverty (including child poverty, fuel poverty and food poverty) (ii) Mental and physical wellbeing (iii) Digital participation (iv) Skills, learning and development (v) Employability Corporate Plan 1.2 This report supports the objectives within the draft new Corporate Plan:- (i) Children and young people grow up safe, respected, well-educated, and confident in their ability to realise their full potential; (ii) People and businesses are increasingly able to prosper in a local economy which support low carbon ambitions and offers opportunities for all; (iii) People can achieve their best physical and mental health and have access to quality care and support when they need it; (iv) Communities are resilient and physically, digital and socially connected;
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(v) Perth and Kinross is a safe and vibrant place, mitigating the impact of climate and environmental change for this and future generations. 2. Resource Implications Financial 2.1 This report outlines spend of £400,000 on Community Investment Fund and £200,000 through Local Action Partnerships as agreed in the 2023/24 budget settlement. Workforce 2.2 N/A. Asset Management (land, property, IT) 2.3 N/A. 3. Assessments Equality Impact Assessment 3.1 The proposals have been considered under the Corporate Equalities Impact Assessment process (EqIA) with the following outcome: (i) Assessed as not relevant for the purposes of EqIA. Strategic Environmental Assessment 3.2 The proposals have been considered under the Act and no further action is required as it does not qualify as a PPS as defined by the Act and is therefore exempt. Sustainability 3.3 N/A. Legal and Governance 3.4 N/A. 4. Consultation Internal 4.1 N/A. External
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4.2 N/A. 5. Communication 5.1 Information on the funds, how to access them and where support will be available will be shared on the Council webpage. The Communications and Design Team will ensure that there is appropriate coverage on the website and through social media. 2. BACKGROUND PAPERS 2.1 N/A.