To seek approval for the relaunch of the existing Herefordshire Public Green Spaces Community Grant scheme.

The grant supports Herefordshire Council’s aim to dispose of non-strategic assets.  This small and limited fund will support Town and Parish Councils in Herefordshire to have an opportunity to demonstrate that they have the ability to maintain and enhance a green space with the view to a long term asset transfer.  The scheme supports projects that have community involvement and impact.  Where a lengthsman scheme is in place this grant will aim to provide complementary opportunity. 

That:

(a)        the public green spaces community grant scheme as detailed at appendix A be approved with a non-recurring scheme budget of £21k; and

(b)        the Director for environment and place  be authorised to determine grants in accordance with the scheme criteria and having regard to the  recommendations of the established panel

1.          Not to approve the grant scheme has the potential to restrict and dilute the current projects around community asset transfer aimed at reducing the maintenance liability within the public realm.  It is an option to transfer the funding to another body to distribute but this was not deemed appropriate as this is public funding and likely to be a one off.