COUNCILLORS have raised concerns over a ‘bombshell’ proposal to halt a community funding scheme worth £1 million for a year.

Cheshire East Council announced last year it would provide £2 million in funding to parish councils and community groups over the course of two years, to be spent on projects benefitting residents.

The cash comes from the New Homes Bonus – a grant given to councils from central Government as an incentive to build new homes – and the first £1 million was to be provided in 2019-20, followed by the second £1 million in 2020-21.

But in the council’s draft budget for 2020-21, which went to public consultation on November 1, CEC suggests instead providing the second £1 million in 2021-22 so a review into how the project ran first time round can take place.

Cllr Rod Fletcher, leader of CEC’s Liberal Democrat group, told Thursday’s corporate overview and scrutiny committee meeting: “This has come as a bit of a bombshell to me.

Northwich Guardian:

“Quite a few people – not just town and parish councils, some charities as well who may have put in bids last time and weren’t successful – they were hoping they might be successful this year.

“A lot of well deserving volunteers who work very, very hard are waiting to bid for this money and now – out of the blue – we are being told it might be deferred for another year.”

The £1 million for 2019-20 was divided up between seven geographical areas surrounding Congleton, Crewe, Nantwich, Knutsford, Wilmslow, Poynton and Macclesfield.

Each area was allocated an amount of cash depending on how many new homes were built there between 2011 and 2017 – with areas that had seen more housebuilding receiving more funds.

Community groups, town and parish councils were then invited to bid for a slice of the funds – and CEC received requests for seven times as much cash as it had on offer in the popular scheme.

Cllr Margaret Simon, Conservative, insisted that parish councils must be put in the picture about the plans – and not just be expected to ‘spot it in the consultation’.

Northwich Guardian:

She said: “Each time we go there, they have got aspirations for what they want to do – whether they will or whether they won’t apply again – and we’ve been empathising with them.

“I expect we have all been saying to them that they will be able to apply again next year, so we do need to be able to tell them the exact details.”

Cllr Amanda Stott, cabinet member for finance, told the committee that feedback from the consultation would be listened to.

She said: “I think many members were concerned [about the New Homes Bonus grants].

Northwich Guardian:

“There was a general feeling that perhaps it hadn’t been rolled out in the same way as the original goals had been set.

“So we took the decision that possibly – and it is there for consultation – members might want to pause it for a year and look at outcomes, or consultation may come back and say ‘no, we want it to carry on’.”

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To see the proposal, and all other details included in the draft 2020-21 budget, visit cheshireeast.gov.uk/budget