Charity Committee minutes

Decided · A decision has been taken.

Officers said car parking fees, including those for Foreshore Trust assets, were under review and would be presented in due course. p6

Officers said the Grants Advisory Panel was inquorate, which had delayed a call for large grant applications, and that interviews for new panel members were scheduled. p6

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• p6It was confirmed that all fees were under review and would be presented in due course, including car parking fees for Foreshore Trust assets. Those discussions would take place with the Chair and across the council as part of the overall fee-setting process, expected in November and December. The Chair queried increased reliance on Ringo for parking payments and whether that system made it more difficult to vary charges, such as introducing early evening discounts or Christmas shopping incentives. The Deputy Chief Executive agreed to investigate and report back, noting that mechanisms likely existed as other councils had implemented similar variations. Parking charges could be discussed further at the Charity Committee meeting on 15 December. The Chair emphasised the need to balance traders’ interests with the trust’s responsibility to fund charitable grants. Parking income supported those grants, so reducing fees would impact available funds for charitable purposes. At the invitation of the Chair, Peter Thorpe (HVA) asked whether unspent grant allocations would be carried forward to future years? In response, Officers explained that two advisory bodies were involved: the Coastal User Group, which dealt with business plan and asset matters, and the Grant Advisory Panel, which assessed grants, made recommendations, and reviewed application forms. Significant efforts had been made to progress large grant schemes following changes suggested in December of the previous year. Initially, different priorities were considered, but after feedback, the previous approach was reinstated with a two-year commitment. A call for applications had been planned for the start of the financial year. However, progress was delayed because the Grant Advisory Panel was currently inquorate. Interviews for new members were scheduled, and it was anticipated that large grants would be prioritised once the panel was reconstituted.