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Report
to:
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Lead
Member for Transport and Environment
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|
Date
of meeting:
|
17
January 2022
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|
By:
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Director of
Communities, Economy and Transport
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|
Title:
|
Viridor in East
Sussex Community Fund
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|
Purpose:
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To
note information provided on the Viridor in East Sussex Community
Fund and to agree the constitution of the Board that will assess
the applications and award the funding.
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Lead Member
is recommended to:
approve the
constitution of the Viridor in East Sussex Board, which will assess
applications to the Community Fund and award funding, as set out in
paragraph 2.4 - 2.9 and appendix 3 of the report
1
Background Information
1.1.
Social value became a legal
requirement through the Public Services Act in 2012. This requires
suppliers to local authorities to offer wider benefits linked to
their contract, called social value. Broadly these benefits can
include supporting the local economy, the local environment and
offering help to local community groups.
1.2.
Social Value is part of the Council
Plan, where we have a target to commit more than 10% of our spend
with suppliers towards economic, social, and environmental
value.
1.3.
During the procurement of the
processing and disposal of dry mixed recyclables for East Sussex
County Council (ESCC), we asked bidders to submit a Social Value
proposal that would be assessed based on the additional value they
committed to delivering in the contract.
1.4.
Viridor Waste Management Limited
(now Limone Waste Limited) submitted a proposal to establish a
Community Fund to provide funding to social enterprise, charities
and the voluntary sector that would contribute towards reducing
demand on services and improving resident experience.
1.5.
The Community Fund is now
established and has £45,000 available to award to successful
applicants that demonstrate they can deliver benefit to the local
community and meet the key objectives of the Fund, which focus on
environmental sustainability, community involvement, local need,
value for money and education.
2
Supporting Information
Governance of the
Fund
2.
2.1.
In consultation with us, Limone has
produced documents that set out the governance and constitution of
the Community Fund and can be found as appendices to this report,
including the Funding Criteria, Application Form, and the Terms of
Reference of the Board.
Funding
Criteria
2.2.
The Funding Criteria (appendix 1)
provides information on who is eligible to apply, what the
requirements are for project applications and how they will be
assessed. Notably the document sets out the nine criteria that the
applications will be scored against; a minimum of six of which must
be met to be considered:
·
Demonstrate local
need in the geographic area
·
Demonstrate
community participation, partnership and benefit
·
Demonstrate
sustainability
·
Demonstrate
environmental benefit
·
Demonstrate
education, lifelong learning, and skills
·
Demonstrate value
for money
·
Demonstrate
social inclusion and breadth of engagement
·
Demonstrate
engagement with a variety of access points
·
Projects that
will offer a strong benefit for the local area through jobs,
training, and skills
Application
Form
2.3.
The Application Form (appendix 2)
gathers information on the applicant and the questions are
structured around the funding criteria to ascertain whether an
applicant is valid, and their application meets at least six of the
nine principles. Once complete, the form is submitted to the
Viridor in East Sussex e-mail address, which is managed by
Limone.
Viridor in East
Sussex Fund Terms of Reference
2.4.
The Terms of Reference (appendix 3)
set out the overall governance of the Community Fund, including the
constitution of the Board that reviews the applications and decides
which projects to provide funding to.
2.5.
The Viridor in East Sussex Board
will be established by Limone and will consist of two
representatives from Limone management, a senior officer from ESCC,
and an elected member from ESCC. The Board may also choose to elect
one or more representatives from other interested groups. The
Governance Committee has the delegated power to appoint councillors
and officers to outside bodies such as the proposed Board. At
its meeting on 25 January 2022 the Governance Committee will be
asked to consider nominations, and it is recommended the Lead
Member for Transport and Environment be considered by the
Governance Committee as the appropriate nomination as the portfolio
holder for waste operations. The Governance Committee will
also be recommended to consider the Waste Team Manager to sit as
the other ESCC Board member. The Waste Team Manager is the
Authorised Officer for the Limone contract and has been involved in
the Community Fund since its inception and will therefore be well
placed to sit on the Board and assess applications against the
funding criteria. The East Sussex district and borough
councils were asked at a meeting of the Waste Resource Strategy
Group whether they wanted to provide a representative for the Board
and they declined.
2.6.
The final decision on the make-up of
the Board rests with the 4 core members, being the Limone and ESCC
representatives. The maximum size of the Board will be limited to 7
members; non-core members being referred to as the panel members.
The core members will elect a chairperson for the Board on either
an annual basis or on a rotational basis.
2.7.
Limone will provide an administrator
to the Board whose role will be to assist in the production and
distribution of agendas, minutes, and other supporting information
to assist the Board. The administrator will also review new
applications against the agreed funding criteria to ensure that
only qualifying applications are put forward for consideration at
the Board meetings.
2.8.
Meetings will be held quarterly at
the Crayford MRF offices or at an alternative venue as might be
agreed from time to time, as well as virtually. Most of the time
allocated to meetings will be spent considering applications for
funding. Once a short list of applications has been determined, the
Board will be asked to vote on those schemes they consider will
have the most benefit to the local community and meet the key
objectives of the Fund. Once an application has been determined,
the administrator will inform the applicant of the outcome and, for
those applications that have been successful, process the
supporting paperwork.
2.9.
An update on those projects that
have received funding from the Board will be provided at each
meeting. Details will be provided on matters such as planned
start date, progress made and estimated completion dates on those
projects supported.
3
Conclusion and Reasons for Recommendations
3.
3.1.
Limone is committed to Social Value
and, during the procurement process of the processing and disposal
of dry mixed recyclables contract, proposed a Community Fund. The
value is £15,000 per year for local projects that deliver
benefits to the local community. It has taken some time to agree
and prepare the administration for the fund. We are in year three
of the contract and now have a total fund of £45,000
available to award to successful applicants.
3.2.
Since the fund went live and was
advertised on 21 September 2021, we have had five applications that
are waiting to be assessed by the Board. It is hoped that the Board
can be assembled, and a meeting can be organised early in
2022.
3.3.
In consultation with ESCC, Limone
has produced documents that set out the governance and constitution
of the Community Fund. Lead Member for Transport and Environment is
asked to note the information provided on the Viridor in East
Sussex Community Fund and to approve the constitution of the Board
that will assess the applications and award the
funding.
3.4.
If the Lead Member agrees the
proposals set out is this report the Governance Committee will
consider appointments to the Board.
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
Contact Officer:
Laura Tafa
Tel. No. 07919 298462
Email: laura.tafa@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL
MEMBERS
None
BACKGROUND
DOCUMENTS
None