In the news: Councillors agree £500,000 for neighbourhood projects

Councillors have confirmed the launch of two new funds dedicated to supporting community projects, with a total £500,000 allocated for 2024/25.

The Believe in Basildon Fund and the Community Priority Fund will be awarded by Basildon Council's Area Committees - supporting projects and initiatives that benefit local people and bring communities together.

The decision was confirmed by councillors at a meeting of Basildon Council's Cabinet on Thursday 18 July 2024.

It follows the creation of six new Area Committees, which were approved at the Annual General Meeting of Basildon Council on Thursday 23 May 2024. These are made up of the elected members in the wards that they cover.

The committees give local areas and their elected Members greater autonomy over local funding and will encourage residents to have wider involvement in decision making for the communities in which they live.

Cllr Jack Ferguson, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Community, said: "This is a chance to make a real difference across the borough by granting decision making powers to the people who know their communities best."

"Basildon Borough is made up of unique towns and neighbourhoods and it's important we reflect that in the decisions we make.

"These funds allow our new Area Committees to support the projects that matter to people in each of our towns. It's an opportunity for local people to really shape the area they live in, and I hope residents, community groups and charities will see today's announcement as their views being better represented by their council."

Following the announcement, each area committee will confirm a ways of working document, setting out its purpose and governance arrangements. Individual meetings will then be scheduled and added to the council's meeting calendar.

Details of each meeting, including agenda and minutes, will be published on the council's website - Council meetings - minutes, agendas, reports - Basildon

Ends

Notes to editors:

The Area Committees cover the six main residential areas of the borough:

·       Basildon -comprising Ward Members from the St Martin's and Fryerns Wards

·       Billericay - compromising Ward Members from the Billericay East, Billericay West and Burstead Wards

·       Laindon and Lee Chapel North - comprising Ward Members from the Laindon Park and Lee Chapel North Wards

·       Pitsea - comprising Ward Members from the Pitsea North West and Pitsea South East Wards

·       Westley Heights- comprising Ward Members from the Nethermayne and Langdon Hills Wards

·       Wickford- comprising Ward Members from the Wickford North, Wickford Park and Castledon and Crouch Wards

Meetings will be led by ward members three times each year, with opportunities to increase frequency as required.

Believe in Basildon Fund

An annual budget of £360,000 will be available to support local projects and initiatives that can demonstrate their work will support the delivery of priorities in each area. The budget will be apportioned equally across the six Area Committees, providing each Committee with a fund of £60,000. The criteria for the fund will be set out on the council's website.

Community Priority Fund

An annual budget of £140,000 will be available to award to community groups and organisations to deliver activity or purchase equipment that provides a clear benefit to residents at a ward level and which address local priorities. The budget will be apportioned equally across each of the 14 wards within the borough, providing Ward Councillors with a grant allocation of £10,000 per ward. The criteria for the fund will be set out on the council's website.

Published 19 July 2024