Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Finance and General Purposes Committee held on Tuesday, 23 February 2010 in the Civic Chamber, Council Offices, Skelmanthorpe
PRESENT: Cllrs R Brook (Chair), M Barlow, M Mills, G Turner, K Waites, S Wild, N Wilson
IN ATTENDANCE: Hazel Chowcat, Clerk to the Council
1506 Declarations of Interest
Cllr Brook declared a personal interest in Item 5.
1507 Open Session
No members of the public were present.
1508 Apologies for absence
Reasons for absence from the meeting were submitted from Cllrs P Calpin, C Rimmer and A Tribe.
RESOLVED that the reasons for absence submitted by all the above Councillors be accepted as valid reasons.
1509 Admission of the Public
RESOLVED that there were no items requiring the exclusion of the press and public.
1510 Application by Denby Dale Walkers are Welcome Group for a Loan
The Clerk submitted correspondence from Cllr Brook, Treasurer of the Denby Dale Walkers are Welcome Group for a short term interest free loan of £30,000. The Group had been awarded £37,000 from EPIP but Yorkshire Forward which manages the funding only pays the grants once the expenditure for which the grant has been awarded has been spent. Other groups thus funded within the EPIP area benefit from interest free loans from Barnsley MBC, but this is only available to groups within BMBC’s area. The purpose of the loan would be to pay for the items of expenditure specified in the grant contract which has now been signed and which will be reimbursed on production of receipts. In the course of discussion, it was acknowledged that the Parish Council had already expressed its support for the project and any financial assistance would be in line with council policy. In addition the consensus of the meeting was that the Walkers are Welcome project would be beneficial for the area. The Clerk explained that she had taken advice of the YLCA and confirmed that the loan could be granted under the Highways Act 1980 s43 Maintenance of footpaths; the Parish Councils Act 1957 s1 power to provide roadside seats; Local Government Act 1972 s144 the power to encourage tourism.
RESOLVED that an interest free loan of £30,000 be awarded to the Denby Dale Walkers are Welcome Group under the Highways Act 1980 s43, maintenance of footpaths; the Parish Councils Act 1957 s1 power to provide roadside seats; and the Local Government Act 1972 s144 power to encourage tourism to be repaid by 1 September 2010.
RESOLVED that the loan be subject to conclusion of a satisfactory agreement based on the model loan agreement employed by Barnsley MBC in relation to loans awarded to EPIP grant recipients which are based in the Barnsley MBC area.
RESOLVED that, in the event of a default, an extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council be called to determine the most appropriate course of action.
Signed……………………………..……
CHAIR
