Meeting documents

Deputy Leader
Tuesday 21st January 2020

Deputy Leader – Minutes – 21 January 2020 (Joint)

1 COMMUNITY GRANT FUND - ENHANCING OUR ENVIRONMENT SCHEME – The Director: Operations submitted a report seeking approval for the proposed new Enhancing Our Environment scheme, and for the allocation of funding for the scheme from the Enhanced and Prosperous Communities Fund.

The council was committed to cutting its carbon footprint and reducing impact on the environment. The council could boast significant success to date to these ends - reducing its carbon footprint by 33% over the last three years with an ambitious target to reduce the carbon footprint by 45% by 2022.

The council had ambitious plans for the best future. A Green Strategy had been developed along with a new Local Plan for all of North Lincolnshire. The council wished to enable all communities to play a part in making a real difference by taking local action to achieve positive environmental impacts. The Enhancing our Environment scheme aimed to support this aspiration.

Led by the council's outcomes and priorities, five key areas where the council could help communities take action were as follows:

- Rainwater harvesting
- Community orchards and tree planting
- Clean energy for community buildings
- Community composting
- Sustainable travel planning for communities

Available to apply for by all not for profit, properly constituted organisations that had social aims, the proposal was that an allocation of 150,000 was approved from the Enhanced and Prosperous Communities Fund to enable community action. To be successful, applications would need to meet one or more of following criteria:

- Reductions in water use from mains fed sources.
- Increase in tree cover and biodiversity.
- Reduction in the use of carbon emissions and fossil fuels.
- Reduction in waste entering the waste stream.
- Increase in journey/car sharing and reduction in fossil fuelled miles travelled.

Applicants would also be required to meet other criteria consistent with the existing Community Grants application process.

Resolved - (a) That the proposed scheme, as set out in the report, be approved, and (b) that the allocation of funding amounting to 150,000 from the Enhanced and Prosperous Communities Fund be approved.