Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council:-

(1)  note the progress update of the transition of Wellbeing Exeter and the Community Programme as requested by the Executive in September 2023;

(2)  note the match for Wellbeing Exeter agreed with Sport England;

(3)  allocate £340,000 and £371,000 from the NHCIL reserve to contribute to the funding of Wellbeing Exeter for financial years 2025/26 and 2026/27;

(4)  allocate £72,000 of the ring-fenced Wellbeing Exeter reserve to contribute to funding Wellbeing Exeter for the financial year 2026/27;

(5)  grant delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder and Strategic Director to adjust the funding downwards should anticipated receipts in the NHCIL reserve fail to materialise; and

(6)  grant delegated authority to the Portfolio Holder and the Strategic Director to consult with residents on the continued use of the Neighbourhood Portion of the CIL for funding Wellbeing Exeter and the Community Grants Programme beyond 2026/27.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report setting out the proposals for the Community Grants Programme 2025/26 and funding of Wellbeing Exeter beyond March 2025 using the Neighbourhood portion of the Community Infrastructure Levy (NHCIL).

The report also provided an update on the progress of the transition of Wellbeing Exeter and the Community Grants Programme and made recommendations for priorities and spending in 2025/26 and 2027/28.

Responding to a query from the Leader, the Strategic Director - People and Communities clarified that the “External Funding” amounts in the Wellbeing Exeter Funding Strategy table [page 101 in the Executive agenda] were minimum contributions that Exeter City Council would expect, with Wellbeing Exeter now stabilised.

Councillors Jobson, Mitchell and Moore spoke on the item as opposition group leaders and raised the following points and questions:-

·         it was concerning that the business plan for the investment in Wellbeing Exeter, the evaluation strategy and the fundraising plan would not be coming forward until next year;

·         a few issues raised in the report ought to be looked at in a strategic way, involving the Grants Panel;

·         community builders were doing excellent work;

·         clarity was needed about where responsibility lay within the Council for the funding of Wellbeing Exeter;

·         CIL regulations were clear about the need to report back and consult with communities;

·         precision was needed about the outcome model and value-for-money of Wellbeing Exeter; and

·         on the subject of evaluation, it would be useful to know how many people were being signposted and how successful the signposting was.

Executive Members made the following comments:-

·         a summary of Wellbeing Exeter success stories would be welcome;

·         both CoLab and Wellbeing Exeter needed security;

·         it should be noted that Exeter’s city grants supported development in the city; and

·         the report of the Strategic Director - People and Communities was rich and extensive.

In response to questions and points raised by Members, the Strategic Director for People and Communities advised that:-

·         the terms of refence for the Grants Panel were very clear and there was no role for the Grants Panel in strategic decision making in relation to the Neighbourhood CIL;

·         there was already a Wellbeing Exeter business case, called ‘A Case for Support’, which was published by the Council in 2023 and was still available on the public website;

·         Wellbeing Exeter was one of the most evaluated projects given there has been a continuous requirement from external funders since its inception to allocate a percentage of grant funds on evaluation. The most recent was the Wellbeing Exeter Impact Report published in March 2024 and more information could be found on the Council and the Devon Community Foundation websites; and

·         Wellbeing Exeter was not a single organisation but an alliance of several VCSE organisations under the leadership of CoLab.

The Leader invited Members to submit all further questions to the Strategic Director - People and Communities in writing.

The Leader moved the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Wright, voted upon, and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council:-

(1)  note the progress  ...  view the full minutes text for item 119