Minutes

22      COMMUNITY GRANT FUND – IN BLOOM 2023 – The Director: Governance and Communities submitted a report considering a proposed “In Bloom 2023” scheme offering grant aid to groups and Town and Parish Councils to support community planting across North Lincolnshire.

The council first invited community groups and Town and Parish Councils to participate in the ‘North Lincolnshire in Bloom’ initiative in 2017/18.  The scheme was developed to engage communities in the creation of attractive planting displays that would visually enhance the local area for both residents and visitors.  In doing so the scheme provided opportunities for communities to participate in competitions such as the ‘CPRE Best Kept Village’, supporting the council’s ambition of North Lincolnshire being the Best Place for residents.

Further development of the scheme, funded from the Community Grant Fund, had provided additional investment supporting the council priority of Enabling Resilient and Flourishing Communities by encouraging volunteering and giving local people a sense of pride in their area through creating an almost year-round floral display for residents and to welcome visitors.

The Community Grant Fund offered grant aid towards the initial cost of providing attractive planters, flowers, and shrubs.  Financial upkeep and on-going maintenance were to be met longer term through town and parish councils working with local businesses and volunteers from within the local community.

“In Bloom” projects were now well established across North Lincolnshire with impressive displays enhancing the local area for residents and visitors.  It was proposed that the Community Grant Fund continued to support communities by offering a contribution to these planting projects for 2023.

Resolved – (a) That the provision of grant aid for communities for In Bloom 2023, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved; (b) that the proposal to make available the sum of £19,000 for the In Bloom 2023 scheme from the Community Grant revenue budget for 2022/23, be approved, and (c) that the proposal to make available the sum of £12,000 for the In Bloom scheme from the Community Grant capital budget for 2022/23 be approved.