The report “Local Community Fund” was considered by the Mayor in Cabinet on 31st July, 2019. The following was agreed and published on Friday 2nd August, 2019

1.    To agree the Local Community Fund programme and funding to individual organisations as set out in appendix F to the report for a period of 42 months from 1st October 2019 to 31st March 2023, subject to agreement of detailed funding agreements setting out the outcomes the funded projects are expected to achieve and conditions of funding. Subject to the following:

a.            That a delivery plan for the mitigation measures set out in paragraph 3.56 of the report, including how these will address the concerns raised at Cabinet with regards to meeting the needs of Somali and other minority community residents, be presented to the Mayor for consideration and agreement prior to the conclusion of the final funding agreements set out in Appendix F;

b.            That the ‘Advice and Information’ Scheme 3A, will not be implemented until a further report is presented to the Mayor setting out how the recommended advice consortium will provide wide geographic coverage including in the south west area of the borough and will reach excluded communities; and

c.            That the report referred to in 1a above will include appropriate timelines for the mitigation measures set out in the Equality Analysis Action Plan referred to in 3 below.

2.    To agree that transitional arrangements will be put in place for funded organisations set out in paragraphs 3.54 to 3.58 of the report;

3.    To note the Equality Analysis and the specific equalities considerations as set out in paragraph 4 of the report and to agree the Equality Analysis Action Plan set out in appendix A to the report; and

4.    That a separate report be presented to the Mayor setting out how the Council supports areas such as ‘play’, ‘sports’ and ‘activities for elders’ outside of the Local Community Fund programme and how the conclusion of Mainstream Grants will impact on these programmes.

The above has been ‘Called-In’ by Cllr Puru Miah; Cllr Ehtasham Haque; Cllr Shah Ameen; Cllr Shad Chowdhury and Cllr Gabriela Salva Macallan.  This is in accordance with the provisions of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules of the Council’s Constitution.

RECOMMENDATION

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) considers:

1.    The contents of the attached report, review the Mayor in Cabinet’s decision (provisional, subject to Call In) arising; and

2.    Decide whether to accept the decision or to refer the matter back to the Mayor with proposals and reasons.

CONSIDERATION OF THE “CALL IN”

Having met the “Call In” request criteria, the matter is referred to the OSC in order to determine the “Call In” and decide whether or not to refer the matter back to Cabinet for further consideration. 

The following procedure is to be followed by the Committee for consideration of the “Call In”:

·         Chair to invite a call-in member to present call-in.

·         Chair to invite members of the Committee to ask  ...  view the full agenda text for item 2

The Committee noted that the decision made by the Mayor in Cabinet on Wednesday, 31 July 2019 in respect of agenda item 6.2 ‘Local Community Fund’ had been ‘called in’ under the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Procedure Rules of the Council’s Constitution by Councillors Puru Miah, Gabriela Salva-Macallan, Ehtasham Haque, Shad Chowdury and Shah Ameen (‘Call-in Members’).

Accordingly, the Committee considered the:

·         Cabinet report

·         Mayor in Cabinet Decision published on 2 August 2019

·         “Call in” requisition from the Call-in Members (undated)

·         Representations by the Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector, Cllr Candid Ronald, and the Mayor, John Biggs. 

·         Representations by the Call-in Members