Agenda item

Appendix A The Edgware Shatnez Centre application - Councillor Brian Gordon

 

Councillor Gordon, having declared an interest, did not take part in the discussion but as sponsor, presented the item and provided information in response to questions.

 

Councillor Braun said that she is aware of the organisation Shatnez and of users of the service and commented paragraph 12 of the application stating that she was not convinced that the wider community would access the service or that what they were delivering was the core business of the community. 

 

Councillor Rayner said he also picked up that financial accounts had not been submitted since 2011 and asked for clarity of what would happen if Members approved an application that was missing key details and was informed that an application could be deferred or approved subject to presenting missing details.

 

Councillor Langleben questioned whether it was appropriate for Shatnez to receive public funding for the type of services it provides which do not represent the core business of the Council.  He also drew attention to the absence recent financial returns and the absence of a safeguarding policy (given the client group 8 – 25 year olds) picked up by due diligence checks made by the Council.

 

Councillor Langleben proposed that committee vote to either decline the application or defer the application pending receipt and approval of outstanding information.  All members able to vote (councillor Gordon did not vote) agreed to this the approach.

 

The votes were as follows:

 

Decline	3
Defer subject to receipt and approval of outstanding information	0
Abstain	3

 

The application was not approved by Committee

 

 

Appendix B The UK Mesilla Family Counselling Service -  Councillor Anthony Finn

 

The Chairman introduced the next item - an application for Hendon Area Committee funding for Mesila UK, (Hendon Committee) which is a Barnet-based family counselling service for the ultra-orthodox Jewish community, who are burdened by high costs of living and debt.

 

Councillor Finn, member sponsor spoke highly of the project which helps local people to improve their skills and access to work, treats people in a dignified way and is good value for money.

 

Councillor Langleben was supportive of the application and recognised to good work it does. However he wanted a safeguarding policy to be in place and wanted assurance that additional funds from (Awards for All) are place before funds are released as the total project cost is £18,500. He identified a risk in providing funding that was more than the value of Mesila’s total funding last year and felt evidence of other funding as an important part of the decision.

 

Councillor Rayner and Councillor Braun were both supportive as was Cllr O-Macauley and Councillor Narenthira who also wanted reassurance regarding the balance of the project funding.  She also commented that it would be useful to use this as an exemplar to other projects.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That the Hendon Area Committee approved the grant application of £8,500 from the non CIL budget subject to confirmation of receipt of Awards for All funding of £10,000 which formed part of the total project costs. 

 

 

Appendix C The Jewish Migraine Foundation - Councillor Tom Davey

 

Councillor Gordon introduced the item sponsored by Councillor Davey.  In his absence, Councillor Gordon provided an introduction and invited comments.

 

Councillor Langleben said that the proposals fit within the core business of the council, but queried why an application had not been made to other area committees as the proposal was a borough-wide one. On that basis, he proposed that Committee agree to award a third of the costs on the basis that Chipping Barnet and Finchley and Golders Green do the same. The total grant applied for appeared to be £9,900, and an allocation of a portion at £3,300 from Hendon Area Committee would seem appropriate. He also noted that the project had not submitted their financial statement and the award would also be subject to receipt of this and a safeguarding policy.

 

Councillor Duschinsky stated that the total project costs are £12,000 but the application does not indicate where the £2,100 shortfall would come from.

 

Members proposed that the Jewish Migration Foundation re-submit their application to all three area committees seeking an allocation of £3,300 form each, and also confirm where the balance of the project costs come from.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That Hendon Area Committee deferred the grant application pending consideration of the advice to re-submit the application to all three area committees for approval of £3,300 of non-CIL funding with financial information provided and clarity on the total project costs.

 

 

Appendix D Barnet Neighbourhood Watch - Councillor Hugh Rayner

 

The Chairman invited Councillor Rayner to discuss the proposal he is sponsoring at the meeting - Barnet Boroughwatch. 

 

The committee was briefed on the proposal that received funding  approval from Chipping Barnet and Finchley and Golders Green Area Committees in March 2016.  The proposal is a borough wide initiative and seeking £9,999 from each area committee to continue exemplar work including neighbourhood watch schemes across new areas of the borough.  Councillor Rayner thanked Maureen West for the great work she does in this area of work

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That Hendon Area Committee approved £9,999 non-CIL funding from its budget for the Barnet Neighbourhood Watch Scheme (Boroughwatch).

 

 

Appendix E Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum - Councillor Val Duschinsky

 

The Chairman invited Councillor Duchinsky to introduce and present the Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum Proposal as the sponsor. Forum Members were also in attendance and invited to provide some background for the Committee.

 

The Forum ws set up 2 years ago.  The area covers Mill Hill Ward and the part of Mill Hill in Hale ward.  The forum received a grant of £8,000 for its Town Square project from the Tesco stare in Mill Hill to provide a ;Pocket Sqaure at the stopped up end of Brokenhurst Gardens. Further details are in the grant application.

 

Members were supportive of the application and agreed the award should be from the Community Infrastructure Levy pot as the works relate to infrastructure works.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That Hendon Area Committee approved £12,000 CIL funding to the Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum for works in connection with the ‘Pocket Park’ proposal in Mill Hill Town Centre.

 

Any Other Items that the Chairman Decides are Urgent  - Salcombe Gardens Uplift, Mill Hill.

 

The Chairman gave permission for an additional Area Funding Grant Application to be considered as a matter of urgency and invited Councillor Langleben, the sponsor, to present the item and explain urgency reasons:-

 

Members were informed that The Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum has successfully applied to the Mayor of London for funding to improve the public realm and shop fronts at Salcombe Gardens, Mill Hill.  However the condition of a grant funding of £20,000 is that Barnet Council provide equivalent match funding, and this must be confirmed by September 2016.  Funding was therefore sought from the Area Committee this evening.

 

Members were supportive of the proposal and congratulated Mill Hill Neighbourhood Forum and local Councillors involved.

 

It was RESOLVED that: 

 

The Hendon Area Committee approved £20,000 CIL funding for the Salcombe Gardens Local Parade improvement project as match funding for the £20,000 awarded from Mayor of London’s Shop Front Improvement project.