£1.26 Million for Neighbourhood Priorities

South Tyneside Council is continuing its investment into addressing local community priorities.

Cabinet members will be asked to agreed funding totalling £1.26 million for the next municipal year. This funding would be shared across all five Community Area Forums (CAFs).

The money is to be used to support a range of housing and environmental initiatives, providing neighbourhood solutions to issues that are raised by residents through their local ward members.

Councillor Jane Carter, Lead Member for Governance, Finance and Corporate Services, said: "Our Community Area Forums help empower communities to take action on matters that affect their local area.

"By continuing the investment in local neighbourhoods, we can help address matters that are important to our residents. £1.26m is proposed to be allocated in total.

"We've been working hard to target money and resources to the areas that need it the most, in a bid to reduce inequalities across the borough. Community Area Forums are encouraged to support projects with the same principles and target resources where there is a clear community benefit."

Money will be used to support three CAF funding streams:

• Housing Capital - To support council housing and access.
• Environmental Capital- Supporting projects that improve the local area including estate improvements and things like verge hardening and highways resurfacing, improvements to public parks or other Council owned public spaces.
• Local Neighbourhood Schemes - To support those initiatives that are not eligible for funding from the capital schemes. These are typically smaller-scale environmental improvements, such as managing shrubs, bulb planting or fence painting. Consideration will also be given to applications from community-based groups and support for locally important social initiatives.

Half a million pounds would be reinvested in council housing through CAF schemes. Allocations to each CAF is determined by the number of council homes in each Forum area, with individual Forums to consider how the funding is allocated at ward level.

In addition to CAF Housing Capital Funding, the Council's Healthy Homes programme will specifically tackle issues of damp and mould in council properties, in line with new regulatory requirements.

Members will consider the allocation of almost £28,000 to every ward in South Tyneside for Environmental Capital improvements and almost £14,500 per ward for Local Neighbourhood improvements.