This report provides an update on funding awarded to voluntary and community sector organisations under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee.

Executive summary adds: The report also seeks a decision on £10,000 transition funding for the change in models of the Equalities contract provision. The proposal is for the specification for the Equalities Hub contract to include the requirement to manage the transition funding as a grant programme.

Recommendation is: 2.  Agree the £10,000 transition fund to be delivered as a grant programme by the successful bidder of the Equalities Hub contract as set out in section 3.37

This report provides an update on funding awarded to voluntary and community sector organisations under delegated authority since the last meeting of the Sub-Committee

To update the Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-committee on the funding awarded through the Local Community Fund.
To update on project performance and an annual update of the programme from October 2019 to September 2020.

Regular reports have been taken to the Commissioners and then the Grants Determination Sub-Committee to report on the performance of the Council’s main grants programmes. Previously a report was taken that gave an update on the first 6 months of the Local Community Fund and this report gives an annual update covering the first 12 months of the programme – Oct 19 – Sep 20.

To receive the:

1.    Budget update;

2.    Update on the 10 year maintenance plan;

3.    Update on plans for two new 5 a side Astro turf pitches at Stepney Green;

4.    Report on summer activities; and

5.    Draft terms of reference for KGFT working group.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge per square metre applied to most new development. The charge is applied to raise funding to contribute to the delivery of infrastructure to support development.

It is now necessary to adopt the CIL charging schedule to ensure the Council receives adequate funding for much needed infrastructure across the borough.  

This report summarises the Event Fund applications received and awards made for the financial year 2018-19. It will outline the projected beneficiaries and targets for the year and include the monitoring information post events.

There are no decisions needed. The funding has already been awarded, it is for information only.

(This report replaces the quarterly reports)

The Community Benefit Rent Reduction Panel has being delegated by the Grants Determination Sub-Committee to award grants through the Community Benefit Rent Reduction scheme.

This is an update report giving details of grants awarded.

The Mainstream Grants (MSG) 2015-18 programme was extended from September 2018 to September 2019.

Regular performance reports are prepared showing whether the funded projects are meeting their targets and highlighting any issues.

This includes a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating for each project.

As part of the ESF Community Grants Programme being delegated to officers, there is a requirement to update the Grants Determination Sub-Committee of grants that have been awarded to local Voluntary and Community organisations.

To approve the grant funding of £5,780,000.00 to provide a modern health facility within the Wood Wharf development.

To approve the additional grant funding of £2,055, 526 from £4,824,474 (incl. VAT) to £6,880,000.00 (incl. VAT) to provide a modern health facility within the Goodman’s Fields development

Although the funding for the programme was approved at Cabinet on 31^st July 2019, as part of our wider carbon offsetting programme, as this is a grants programme it is also required to seek the approval of the Grants Determination Sub-Committee.

To address the shortage of EL2 places in areas of disadvantage, an addition to the agreement for schools wishing to provide such places is needed.  This agreement was approved on 15^th April 2015 as the Commissioner Decision Report on the  Early Learning for Two-year Olds (EL2) Capital Process.  

A small grants fund was created through the Tackling Poverty programme to allow partners to test innovative ways to tackle poverty. As all grants were below £20,000 no Committee decision was required to award them, however, the Committee asked to be kept updated on successful bids.

The Mainstream Grants (MSG) 2015-18 programme was extended from September 2018 to September 2019.

Regular performance reports are prepared showing whether the funded projects are meeting their targets and highlighting any issues.

This includes a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating for each project.

Permission is sought from the Grants Determination Sub-Committee to make payment of a Historic Buildings Grant for £95,902 to Oxford House in Bethnal Green.

The grant forms a contribution towards specific capital works – roofing and high level window repairs, which are now complete. The work has been found to be of a satisfactory conservation standard. 

The Council and Oxford House have a contractual agreement and now that Oxford House have met all the conditions of payment, the Council is in a position to release the funds.

St Mary and Holy Trinity Church applied for a Historic Buildings Grant of £30,000 in March 2018. 

The grant would contribute towards a second phase of repair work on the Church.  The first phase, which focused on remedial and restoration work to the west tower, was completed in June 2018.  The Council contributed a Historic Buildings Grant of £20,000 to the project.

The second phase will help further alleviate damp and water ingress problems at a lower level, improve access to enable a wider range of community activities, enhance the appearance of the church and the setting of the conservation area.  The work should see the removal of the church from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register.

A decision to make an informal offer of grant in principle, subject to conditions, at the Grants Determination Sub-committee on 27 September 2018.  The Council was not in a position to make a formal offer of grant at that stage because the Church could not make the conditions for a formal grant offer, which is a full specification, drawings and three detailed quotes until after going to tender and a tender report written by the architect.  These items have now been received; they have been checked and found to be in order by the Heritage at Risk Projects Officer.

St Mary and Holy Trinity Church have been awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant offer and have an imminent start date, pending approvals from TfL for highway access.

(a)  Without these works, the nationally significant Grade II* building would continue to suffer from damp and water ingress, leading to a further deterioration in the condition and appearance of the historic fabric.  Without the repair work, Historic England would also continue to retain the listed building on its Heritage at Risk register.

(b)  If the project goes ahead, the appearance of the church and the churchyard would be improved, enhancing the setting of the Fairfield Road Conservation Area.  Access improvements would enable regular maintenance work to the church, reducing long term costs.

(c)  The Church is one of the last remaining mediaeval buildings in the borough and it is a powerful contributor to a sense of place and continuity of the area.  If the project does not go ahead, aspirations to enhance existing and develop new community services for a wider audience may not be realised.  The project has the ability to contribute towards the theme ‘A Great Place to Live’ in the Community Plan to build a One Tower Hamlets. 

The council invited applications from voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations for funding from the corporate VCS Grants Programme (Infrastructure and Capacity Building Theme).  This report presents the assessment of applications received and makes recommendations for allocating grants to VCS organisations under this theme for the period 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2022.

This item follows the decision made by the Mayor in Cabinet on 31 October 2018 to establish a corporate VCS grants programme where small grants would be administered by an appropriate external body and grants for VCS infrastructure support and capacity building would be administered internally by the Council.

The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee has powers delegated to it by Cabinet to determine applications for grants from voluntary and community sector organisations

The King George’s Field Charity Board is recommended to:

1.    Note the draft outturn budget for 2018-19;

2.    Note the update on the 10 year maintenance plan;

3.    Note report back from King George's Field Charity Board working group; and

4.    Approve plans for two new 5 a side Astro turf pitches at Stepney Green.

The item proposes a public consultation on the closure of Raine’s Foundation School and the expansion of Oaklands Schools during June of 2019.

The report seeks approval for the continuation of the school uniform grant for the 19/20 academic year

This item is to discuss grants that would be distributed to households on low incomes. Finance is available within the budget, but permission is sought from the Grants Committee to distribute the funding in this way.

The grant sits between three directorates in which there have been significant changes since last year. In 2018/19 the grants were approved by the Corporate Director for Resources under her delegated authority. The current Director for resources has asked that this decision now be returned to the Committee as it is unclear how long the delegation was intended to last.

Once the decision is made, it needs to be advertised, households apply for it and payments made to enable uniforms to be purchased. A delay  in making the decision would lead to undue stress for residents who rely on this funding but would not know if they were eligible.

The Shopfront Improvement Project encompasses improvements to Council-owned shopfronts occupied by private businesses on lease arrangements. As the Council is under no legal obligation or duty to provide this payment, it is discretionary and therefore considered to be a grant. As such, approval must be sought from the Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub-Committee

To design and install a new innovative acoustic barrier for a section of the A12 with the ability to mitigate noise pollution.  This is a pilot scheme in partnership with Transport for London and Poplar HARCA.

Poplar HRACA are the partners on the ground managing and delivering the project and therefore this report is seeking the approval to provide £100,000 to Poplar HARCA as a grant to deliver the project on the partnerships behalf.

To consider and agree revised criteria of for the Council’s Emergency Funding programme.

To consider revisions to the Council’s Emergency Funding programme taking account of feedback from applicants and the THCVS. To ensure that the revisions support the council’s objectives and maximise the use of the one-off allocation for Emergency Grant funding.

To consider revised criteria in light of the move from Mainstream Grants to the Local Community Fund and the potential financial impact this may bring to local VCS organisations.

Originally due to be considered at the 13 March 2018 Grants Determination Sub-Committee it was decided to wait and evaluate how the scheme worked over the following year.

The launch of the Local Community Fund (LCF) has highlighted potential financial issues that local VCS organisations that are currently funded may face.

Although the LCF could be seen as a replacement for the current Mainstream Grants (MSG) 2015-18 programme there are significant differences in what will be funded in the future and the processes that determine funding.

Regular performance reports are submitted to show progress by funded projects in achieving the aims and objectives of the programme.

However, quarterly reports are not always able to adequately show the impact the projects have had on the residents of Tower Hamlets and how the longer term outcomes have been achieved.

The MSG Outcomes report is an opportunity to look at the original three year programme period and provide an overview of the outcomes achieved during this period.

The Mainstream Grants (MSG) 2015-18 programme was extended from September 2018 to September 2019.

Regular performance reports are prepared showing whether the funded projects are meeting their targets and highlighting any issues.

This includes a RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating for each project.

The Mayor is being asked to approve three contract variations, two for the council’s commissioned Enhanced Rough Sleeping Outreach Service and one for the council’s commissioned Resource Centre for Rough Sleepers. These variations are the result of the council being successful in their bids to the MHCLG for new and continued funding for a range of innovative and effective rough sleeping services.

The MHCLG grants are ring fenced and delivery organisations are identified to ensure speedy mobilisation of new services and the continuation of services that commenced in 2018/19.

The Aberfeldy WellOne vision is a shared approach to health, wellbeing and community services to enhance health improvement and reduce health inequalities.

Delivery of the vision will drive the planning and implementation of services, operations, building design and fit-out of the Aberfeldy New Village development.  Within this space, the community will have a new state of the art health centre, new community hub and a café which will occupy the ground and first floor with a gross internal area of 1,366 m2.

The heart of this programme is to better coordinate primary healthcare services, alongside social care, public health and community health services to seek to improve both physical and mental health; as well as to reduce isolation, connect people and cultures, and support children, young people and their families.

This proposal focusses on the fit-out of the community café to complete the integrated health and wellbeing facility. 

The community cafe will be supported by an experienced independent operator in partnership with Poplar HARCA with a focus on quality and healthy produce. It will provide nutritious and affordable food with two or three world cuisine inspired dishes every lunch time. A wide range of dietary needs will be catered for with a creative, thoughtful approach.

The cafe will have high quality contemporary design with an open plan kitchen suitable for providing hot food at lunch or dinner. The café/gallery and health spaces will be indistinguishable from each other in design, look and feel with open plan access between the different areas.

A carefully specified professional kitchen, mood lighting, AV systems and a zoned audio system will further enhance the look, feel and functionality of the café and kitchen.

The intention is to create an actively curated mini gallery in the café, providing beautiful and thought-provoking art and fashion pieces created by local artists and designers, including work from the nearby Poplar Works fashion design initiative.

The cafe will be designed to be able to be used as a space for meetings and events. They will include hosting various health and wellness sessions for local people and volunteers together with NHS staff to build a powerful collective to support local people. Evenings will see the space utilised for various adult education classes and other wellness and community activities and form part of the WellOne Community Programme. When required, the whole space will be able to be transformed with dimmed lights and careful arts and music programming and showcase the best of East London artists.

The proposed WellOne Community Programme will initially seek to link with the café, available space in the ground floor of the Health Centre and the existing Aberfeldy Centre. Following completion, the Programme will expand to include the new Aberfeldy Community Centre.

The intention will be to grow the programme with a strategically phased approach with an emphasis on quality and engagement. Activities proposed include:

•           Employment Support and Skills development

•           Advice and guidance

•           Apprenticeships and Enterprise development

•           Talking therapies and mental health group sessions

•           Sport, fitness and dance

•           Children and young people

•           Social networks and groups

•           Complementary therapies and wellness activities (e.g. yoga, Tai Chi, reflexology)

•           An LGBT parent’s group

•           A gardening group

•           Workplace club with creche

In the March pre-grants scrutiny meeting with the Mayor the following questions were raised, and after careful consideration and in partnership with Poplar Harca, we provide the following updates:

1.    What scrutiny has this PID been subjected to?

a.    This proposal has been endorsed by:

                                          i.    Aberfeldy Programme working group (external partnership[1])

                                        ii.    Health, Adults and Community Capital Delivery Group (internal)

                                       iii.    Asset Management & Capital Delivery Working Group (internal)

                                       iv.    Asset Management Delivery Board (internal)

2.    Clarification who owns the Assets?

a.    Poplar Harca is purchasing the freehold lease of the health centre, community hub and café and therefore all will be owned by Poplar Harca over the term lease of 150 years.

b.    GPs will hold a sub-lease with Poplar Harca on the health care space

c.    Specifically for the café space, Poplar Harca have offered a partnership agreement with the Council to secure the use of this space over a period of c10 years – this proposal has been suggested to Legal services and at the point of writing I am waiting for clarification from legal about how best to proceed

3.    Clarification on the protection of the space to be safeguarded as a community asset? for the Community :

a.    As explained above, Poplar Harca have offered a partnership agreement with the Council to secure the use of the café space over a set term.

4.    What health outcomes will be achieved through this initiative?

a.    Please see logic model that focusses on outcomes that will be achieved following investing in the community café.

5.    Can more information be provided on the background to s106?

a.    The s106 for this proposal will be made up from health and community s106.

Following April’s pre-grants scrutiny meeting with the Mayor, legal advised to not proceed through the grants process without a partnership agreement and outline business plan in place.

Therefore, we are in the process of obtaining the relevant sign-off of an agreement between Poplar Harca and LBTH that secures use of this space as a healthy community asset for a minimum of 10 years.

This project proposes to grant fund £500k to Poplar Harca, as such and in adherence to the LBTH Grants programme, we propose to ratify this decision both with senior officials also through the Grants process, including scrutiny and sub-committee.

The committee is recommended to pass the grant funding received from MHCLG to the pan-London not for profit company Capital Letters (London) Ltd to procure accommodation for homeless families.

The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub Committee is asked to:

•           Agree to the process of inviting applicants for the 2019/20 Ageing Well Small Grants fund which aims to provide financial support to groups providing social activities and peer support to older people in the borough. GDSC will also be asked to delegate responsibility for agreeing the awards to the Joint Director of Integrated Commissioning.

•           To consider the award of three grants from the 2018/19 fund, where applicants are operating from council-owned premises but without a current formal arrangement in place. Responsibility for agreeing awards for the 2018/19 was delegated to the Joint Director of Integrated Commissioning but the Legal viewpoint is that this does not include responsibility around issues related to premises.

A decision is required to ensure that the 2019/20 fund can potentially used by groups to fund Eid celebrations (in June 2019) and summer activities.

This project proposes to grant fund £500k to Poplar Harca, as such and in adherence to the LBTH Grants programme, we propose to ratify this decision both with senior officials also through the Grants process, including scrutiny and sub-committee.

The Aberfeldy WellOne vision is a shared approach to health, wellbeing and community services to enhance health improvement and reduce health inequalities.

Delivery of the vision will drive the planning and implementation of services, operations, building design and fit-out of the Aberfeldy New Village development.  Within this space, the community will have a new state of the art health centre, new community hub and a café which will occupy the ground and first floor with a gross internal area of 1,366 m2.

The heart of this programme is to better coordinate primary healthcare services, alongside social care, public health and community health services to seek to improve both physical and mental health; as well as to reduce isolation, connect people and cultures, and support children, young people and their families.

This proposal focusses on the fit-out of the community café to complete the integrated health and wellbeing facility. 

The Community Cafe will be supported by an experienced independent operator in partnership with Poplar HARCA with a focus on quality and healthy produce. It will provide nutritious and affordable food with two or three world cuisine inspired dishes every lunch time. A wide range of dietary needs will be catered for with a creative, thoughtful approach.

The cafe will have high quality contemporary design with an open plan kitchen suitable for providing hot food at lunch or dinner. The café/gallery and health spaces will be indistinguishable from each other in design, look and feel with open plan access between the different areas.

A carefully specified professional kitchen, mood lighting, AV systems and a zoned audio system will further enhance the look, feel and functionality of the café and kitchen.

The intention is to create an actively curated mini gallery in the café, providing beautiful and thought-provoking art and fashion pieces created by local artists and designers, including work from the nearby Poplar Works fashion design initiative.

The cafe will be designed to be able to be used as a space for meetings and events. They will include hosting various health and wellness sessions for local people and volunteers together with NHS staff to build a powerful collective to support local people. Evenings will see the space utilised for various adult education classes and other wellness and community activities and form part of the WellOne Community Programme. When required, the whole space will be able to be transformed with dimmed lights and careful arts and music programming and showcase the best of East London artists.

The proposed WellOne Community Programme will initially seek to link with the café, available space in the ground floor of the Health Centre and the existing Aberfeldy Centre. Following completion, the Programme will expand to include the new Aberfeldy Community Centre.

The intention will be to grow the programme with a strategically phased approach with an emphasis on quality and engagement. Activities proposed include:

•           Employment Support and Skills development

•           Advice and guidance

•           Apprenticeships and Enterprise development

•           Talking therapies and mental health group sessions

•           Sport, fitness and dance

•           Children and young people

•           Social networks and groups

•           Complementary therapies and wellness activities (Yoga, Tai Chi, reflexology)

•           An LGBT parent’s group

•           A Gardening group

•           Workplace club with creche

In the March pre-grants scrutiny meeting with the Mayor the following questions were raised, and after careful consideration and in partnership with Poplar Harca, we provide the following updates:

1.         What scrutiny has this PID been subjected to?

a.         This proposal has been endorsed by:

i.          Aberfeldy Programme working group (external partnership )

ii.         Health, Adults and Community Capital Delivery Group (internal)

iii.        Asset Management & Capital Delivery Working Group (internal)

iv.        Asset Management Delivery Board (internal)

2.         Clarification who owns the Assets?

a.         Poplar Harca is purchasing the freehold lease of the health centre, community hub and café and therefore all will be owned by Poplar Harca over the term lease of 150 years.

b.         GPs will hold a sub-lease with Poplar Harca on the health care space

c.         Specifically for the café space, Poplar Harca have offered a partnership agreement with the Council to secure the use of this space over a period of c10 years – this proposal has been suggested to Legal services and at the point of writing I am waiting for clarification from legal about how best to proceed

3.         Clarification on the protection of the space to be safeguarded as a community asset? for the Community :

a.         As explained above, Poplar Harca have offered a partnership agreement with the Council to secure the use of the café space over a set term.

4.         What health outcomes will be achieved through this initiative?

a.         Please see logic model that focusses on outcomes that will be achieved following investing in the community café.

5.         Can more information be provided on the background to s106?

a.         The s106 for this proposal will be made up from health and community s106

This report summarises the Event Fund applications received and awards made for the financial year 2018-19. It will outline the projected beneficiaries and targets for the year.

There are no decisions needed. The funding has already been awarded, it is for information only.

(This report replaces the quarterly reports)

The King George’s Field Charity Board is recommended to:

1.    Agree the annual report and accounts of the King Georges Fields Trust Mile End (Charity registration 1077859) for the 2017/2018 financial year set out in Appendix 1.

2.    Agree the annual report and Accounts for the King Georges Fields Trust, Tredegar Square (charity number 1088999) for the financial year 2017/2018 set out in Appendix 2.

3.    Subject to approval of 1 and 2 above, and the Council’s accounts for 2017/2018 being signed off, authorise the Trust to sign the 2017/2018 annual reports and accounts for submission to the Charity Commission by 28^th February 2019.

The Grants Determination (Cabinet) Sub Committee is asked to:

•           Agree to the process of inviting applicants for the 2019/20 Ageing Well Small Grants fund which aims to provide financial support to groups providing social activities and peer support to older people in the borough,

•           To consider the award of three grants from the 2018/19 fund, where applicants are operating from council-owned premises but without a current formal arrangement in place. 

Substance Misuse Prescribing Costs incurred across drug / alcohol treatment services are to be funded jointly between LBTH and Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group.  This paper seeks approval to transfer funds to East London Foundation Trust for costs incurred throughout the duration of the Reset treatment service contract.

The first grant is for £15,000 to Praxis to fund supported bed spaces for non-UK nationals with complex and unresolved immigration status who are rough sleeping in Tower Hamlets. The second grant is for £30,000 to St Mungo’s to provide intensive specialist support to hostel staff and rough sleeping couples in Tower Hamlets based on new research into working effectively with rough sleeping couples.

Both Grants will:

•           support the council’s aim to end rough sleeping.

•           provide rough sleepers who have very limited accommodation options with support, housing and hope for the future.

•           enable the council to use and employ specialist agencies to work with identified cohorts of rough sleepers.

•           help reduce anti-social behaviour that is associated some rough sleepers. This reduces the number of complaints from the community and resources employed by community safety.

•           ensure that the council continues to lead in testing and implementing evidence based innovative approaches when working with rough sleepers.  This is good for clients, the community and the council’s reputation.

The purpose of this report is to update the Grants Determination Sub-Committee on grants that have been awarded through the European Social Fund (ESF) Community Employment Programme which is co-financed through the European Union and administered by London Councils.

As part of the ESF Community Grants Programme being delegated to officers, there is a requirement to update the Grants Determination Sub-Committee of grants that have been awarded to local Voluntary and Community organisations.

Approve the Change Note and subsequent changes that deviate from the initial PID that was approved in Nov 2017 of grant funding £3,119,421 to NHS Tower Hamlets CCG to deliver increased capacity, access and service provision in primary care and maintain continuity of local GP services.

This change note has been developed to reflect the following changes to the programme of works:

1.         Poplar Harca are in the process of taking over the freeholder arrangements, replacing NHS Property Services and will take over the head lease arrangements.

2.         The East London Foundation Trust is taking over responsibility of fitting out the premises, replacing NHS Property Services.

3.         Due to delays with the programme, the change note reflects more accurate timescales for delivery.

Approve the Change Note and subsequent changes that deviate from the initial PID that was approved in April 2016 of grant funding £1,871,948 to NHS Tower Hamlets CCG to deliver increased capacity, access and service provision in primary care and maintain continuity of local GP services.

This change note has been developed to reflect the following changes to the programme of works:

1.         A reduction in expenditure, that enabled the £731k underspend to be transferred to the Island Medical Practice PID - approved in July 2018.

2.         The Change note provides an update on delivery to date.

3.         Due to delays with the programme, the change note reflects more accurate timescales for delivery.

Approve the grant funding of £1,502,608 to NHS Tower Hamlets CCG to deliver ICT infrastructure and digital access for health facilities across the borough.

Tower Hamlets is one of the most deprived boroughs in the country and the population is expected to reach nearly 315,000 by 2020, increasing the demand for GP services. There is a clear need for GP services to work differently to meet the challenges of a growing population and a constraint on resources. Primary care workload is around 33% more than current funding can pay for, and 86% of GP staff believe general practice will need to change to meet future demand.

The project will provide ICT infrastructure to help manage demand for face-to-face GP appointments. The provision of technology will allow patients to check their own vital signs and answer clinical questionnaires away from GP appointments, while remote access for GPs will allow for smarter working arrangements to take non-clinical tasks away from clinical spaces, and new front-line technology such as phone systems, check-in screens and tablets will improve patient flows and efficiency.

The project will also aim to improve the accessibility of health services through digital mediums. It will develop full online registration for GP services, which will then be accessible at any location without the need to attend the practice, in order to tackle a large unregistered population. This will be integrated with tablets at practices and urgent care centres to enable easy access for more vulnerable individuals. It will also be provided in multiple languages to target those populations less likely to be registered.

Further to this, a Tower Hamlets Health app will be developed, with the aim to provide a single point of access for Tower Hamlets health services, allowing patients to take GP appointments online through the app, to book face-to-face GP appointments and to be signposted to LBTH health improvement services.

This all aims to create a GP network which is more dynamic, increasing capacity by reducing the need for face-to-face GP appointments, and modernising to appeal to a more digitally active population.

This report provides an overview of applications to the Event Fund for the period 1 April 2017 – 31 March 2018. The report includes details of all applications and data for grant awardees and monitoring information post event.

This report is for information only. No decision is required as it is retrospective.

Request for S106 funding of £100,000 to install an acoustic barrier on the A12 in Bromley-by-Bow.

Due to this project involving awarding a grant to Poplar HARCA it is required to go through the grant determination process and a formal decision to be made at Grants Determination Sub-Committee

In March 2018 Cabinet approved the Tenant’s Activity Pot (TAP) initiative, to make available funds for tenants living in sheltered housing to organise and take part in activities that tackle loneliness and isolation.

The purpose of this report is to update the Grants Determination Sub-Committee on grants that have been awarded through two funding streams – the LBTH Innovation Fund (match funding for organisations crowdfunding through Spacehive) and the European Social Fund (ESF) Community Employment Programme which is co-financed through the European Union and administered by London Councils.

As part of the LBTH Innovation Fund and the ESF Community Grants Programme being delegated to officers, there is a requirement to update the Grants Determination Sub-Committee of grants that have been awarded to local Voluntary and Community organisations.

St Mary and Holy Trinity Church have requested a Historic Buildings Grant from the Council to contribute toward partnership funding for a larger Heritage Lottery Fund grant.  If the church does not receive sufficient partnership funding before the HLF deadline on 2 November 2018, then the HLF may withdraw their grant offer and the project may not go ahead.

A formal offer of grant cannot be made at this stage because the Church cannot meet the conditions for a formal grant offer, which is a full specification, drawings and three detailed quotes until after going to tender and a tender report written by the architect.  Once these documents have been received (expected October 2018) and found to be in order then a request will be made to the Grants Determination Sub-committee to make a formal offer of grant to St. Mary and Holy Trinity Church.  In the interim to help secure the HLF grant offer, permission is requested to write a letter of comfort to the Church to communicate the Council’s willingness to offer a Historic Buildings Grant of £30,000 in principle, subject to conditions.

(a)       Without these works, the nationally significant Grade II* building would continue to suffer from damp and water ingress, leading to a further deterioration in the condition and appearance of the historic fabric.  Without the repair work, Historic England would also continue to retain the listed building on its Heritage at Risk register.

(b)       If the project goes ahead, the appearance of the church and the churchyard would be improved, enhancing the setting of the Fairfield Road Conservation Area.  Access improvements would enable regular maintenance work to the church, reducing long term costs.

(c)        The Church is one of the last remaining mediaeval buildings in the borough and it is a powerful contributor to a sense of place and continuity of the area.  If the project does not go ahead, aspirations to enhance existing and develop new community services for a wider audience may not be realised.  The project has the ability to contribute towards the theme ‘A Great Place to Live’ in the Community Plan to build a One Tower Hamlets. 

The Grants Determination Sub Committee are asked to endorse Officers’ recommendations to award grant funding to the George Greens’ Almshouses purchase a 1 bedroom flat at 16 Spanby Road E3 from the Borough’s Right To Buy receipts. The property will be used to provide affordable housing. 

The Council has significant RTB receipts. These must be used for the provision of new social housing in accordance with the terms of the agreements that the Council has entered into with the DCLG.  To date £7.06m of these receipts has been allocated to assist developing RPs supplement their affordable housing build programmes. An additional £5m was approved by Cabinet for future bids in January 2018.

Tower Hamlets is one of the most deprived boroughs in the country and the population is expected to reach nearly 315,000 by 2020 . Both NHS Tower Hamlets Commissioning Strategic Plan 2012 – 2015 and the Tower Hamlets 2016 - 2020 Health and Wellbeing Strategy highlight the development of health premises and the refurbishment of facilities as key to supporting both the integration and localisation of services linked with local area partnerships. The Commissioning Strategic plan describes the course of action to improve health outcomes for the local population and has a commitment to improve the quality of life for everyone in the borough by working in partnership with key stakeholders including the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Rapid population growth, stimulated by new residential development, is driving increased demand for healthcare provision in the affected localities. The proposed new health facilities and expansion will help build the extra clinical capacity that will be required to meet the increased demand for primary care.

Given the difficulties in obtaining new premises and the space and financial constraints on primary care services, the capital investment will enable GP Practices to increase their appointments and clinical capacity.

This project will allow a greater level of service to be offered to patients. The proposed works to be undertaken to Island Medical Centre will provide:

·         Four additional modern treatment rooms.

·         Extra clinical capacity that will enable the practice to expand its patient list by a further 5,472 over the next five years to 2022/23.

·         28,800 new patient appointment slots in the South-East Locality, based on a utilisation rate of 60%.

·         An expansion of the primary care workforce in the South-East Locality, equivalent to 1 GP per 1,800 new patients.

Finances will be spent in accordance with the s106 obligation and will deliver projects identified and agreed with the contributors in compliance with the s106 agreement.

To award a Sub-Grant Agreement to PLACE Ltd, the pan-London local housing company providing modular temporary accommodation on meanwhile sites.

Adopt the recommendations with regard to taking forward findings of the Housing Policy and Affordability Commission.

The paper requires decision on the key reconfiguration proposals for the hostel sector during 2016 - 2019, which will shape the re-tendering of hostels during 2016/2017, when the current hostel contracts come to an end. These contracts begin to expire from the winter 2016, so this decision is needed.