Published on:
06
September 2012
Clackmannanshire Council has agreed the basis upon which it will make £100,00 worth in grants available to local communities throughout the county in a bid to improve quality of life in the area.
The Council's new Community Environmental Improvement Fund will be open to communities across Clackmannanshire after the public launch in mid-September.
In February 2012 the Council agreed to include £100K from its Invest to Save
Fund for an Environmental Improvement Fund in the budget for 2012/13.
Today (Thursday) the Council's Enterprise and Environment Committee gave the go-ahead for the scheme to be launched.
To receive a grant, communities have to demonstrate Spend to Save principles while at the same time developing community participation by residents who want to make a difference to their environment and improve the quality of life in their area.
Committee Convenor, Councillor Donald Balsillie said: " Each community will be able to apply for one project up to a maximum of £10,000, with the minimum grant being £4,000. In exceptional cases where projects can demonstrate a wide range of physical environmental benefits within a community, a larger award may be made.
"To qualify projects must demonstrate an improvement in their community such as changing bedding plants to herbaceous plants to save on maintenance and materials or by using the money as match funding to draw in funding from other sources.
"Other ways the cash could be used is by providing, restoring or improving community environmental resources such as parks, community gardens, reduction of waste, reuse, recycling or use of environmentally friendly materials, gardens, local green spaces, woodlands or paths."
The fund is also aimed at establishing community and special interest groups with the goal of improving their local environment; improving degraded land, main streets and neighbourhoods for public benefit.
Councillor Balsillie added: "We want to create communities that are, and feel, safer, by addressing crime and the fear of crime, creating safer places for people to meet and take exercise.
"We also want to the money to be used to support vulnerable people and families, by addressing the needs of the elderly, considering how projects can involve and contribute to the needs of vulnerable people and their families.
The criteria laid down for a grant to be made is that a project must be capable of completion within 12 months, be located within Clackmannanshire, and be unlikely to be able to proceed without this funding.
The Community Environmental Improvement Fund will be publicly launched in mid-September and will be widely publicised throughout Clackmannanshire.. A guide leaflet and application form will be prepared in time for the Council launch, explaining how to apply for a grant under this new scheme.
The initial application deadline is 31 October 2012.