The Corporate Director for Resources presented the report which informed the Sub-Committee of proposals to ensure that the principle established by Commissioners that organisations in receipt of funding and which operated from Council owned buildings must have an appropriate property agreement in place is applied to recipients of this grant thus applying the same principles across all areas of grant funded activity.

At the Chair’s invitation the comments of GSSC were received stating that Members accepted the recommendation, however the legal comments referenced disposals which did not appear to be relevant.  Members were informed that legal officers would review the legal comments.

Members of the Sub-Committee indicated that they had no comments that they wished to make on the report.

DECISION

That it be agreed that organisations funded through the ESF Community Employment Programme and are based in or using a Council building must have an appropriate property agreement in place before payments can be released to them, as is the case with all new grant programmes going forward.

The Corporate Director for Resources presented the report which informed the Sub-Committee of proposals to ensure that the principle established by Commissioners: that organisations in receipt of funding and which operated from Council owned buildings must have an appropriate property agreement in place, is applied to recipients of this grant and hence apply the same principles across all areas of grant funded activity.

At the Chair’s invitation the comments of GSSC were received stating that Members accepted the recommendation, however the legal comments of the report referenced disposals which did not appear to be relevant.  Members were informed that legal officers would review these legal comments.

Members of the Sub-Committee indicated that they had no comments that they wished to make on the report.

RESOLVED

That it be agreed that organisations funded through the ESF Community Employment Programme and are based in or using a Council building must have an appropriate property agreement in place before payments can be released to them, as is the case with all new grant programmes going forward.

Steve Hill, Head of Benefits Services informed Members the ESF Community Employment Programme was expected to launch in October 2017 and one of the Council’s intention is to bring organisations who receive grant funding and are based in Council buildings, to have an appropriate property agreement in place before funds are released to them. The report seeks clarity if this condition should also apply to the ESF Community Employment Programme.

Steve Hill explained the ESF Community Employment Programme Grant 2016-19, is to be administered by the Greater London Authority, with the day to day management being undertaken by London Councils. The Council was expected to contribute £20,000 per year over three rounds of funding.

Members of the Sub-Committee asked the following questions:

·         Will grants come from anywhere within the fund and can the Council’s contribution to the pot be separately identified?

·         It will be one pot however each council will have their own criteria and this is why we’d like to align this fund to the same conditions we have for granting other types of grants.

·         Page 78 – point 5.3 refers to the disposal of land under legal comments. This should be removed from the report as it should not be part of the recommendation.

·         Point 7.1 – states funding is on a 50/50% basis.  Who will oversee the tender and bidding process?

The Grant’s Scrutiny Sub-Committee ACCEPTED the recommendations made within the report that the Grant’s Determination Sub-Committee should

1.    Agree that organisations funded through the ESF Community Employment Programme and are based in or using a Council building must have an appropriate property agreement in place before payments can be released to them, as is the case with all new grant programmes going forward.