Issue - meetings

1.  The allocation and spend of the Changing Places Fund grant monies which total £185k be approved, in line with the interventions set out in the funding application and within the report, to enable the delivery of two further Changing Places facilities across the borough before 31 March 2024.

2.  The distribution of funds to MyTime Active and to the Metropolitan Police Hayes Sports Club be approved to deliver Changing Places facilities at Biggin Hill Leisure Centre and The Warren subject to signed management and maintenance agreements.

3.  Authority be delegated to the Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, to agree any changes to the delivery of Changing Places programme within the boundaries of the grant funding available and legal contract with DLUHC.

4.  A funding application for any additional funding rounds announced by DLUHC where suitable locations can be found and secured with no ongoing revenue costs be approved.

Report HPR2023/045

The Council had been successful in the second round of DLUHC Changing Places funding and awarded a further £185k to be spent on installing two Changing Places facilities in the borough. 

Officers were seeking formal approval to accept and spend the grant monies in line with the  parametersof thegrant funding.

The report had been scrutinised by the Renewal, Recreation and Housing PDS Committee at its meeting on 7 August 2023 and the Committee had supported the recommendations.

RESOLVED: That

1.  The allocation and spend of the Changing Places Fund grant monies which total £185k be approved, in line with the interventions set out in the funding application and within this report, to enable the delivery of two further Changing Places facilities across the borough before 31 March 2024.

2.  The distribution of funds to MyTime Active and to the Metropolitan Police Hayes Sports Club be approved to deliver Changing Places facilities at Biggin Hill Leisure Centre and The Warren subject to signed management and maintenance agreements.

3.  Authority be delegated to the Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, to agree any changes to the delivery of Changing Places programme within the boundaries of the grant funding available and legal contract with DLUHC.

4.  A funding application for any additional funding rounds announced by DLUHC where suitable locations can be found and secured with no ongoing revenue costs be approved.

Report HPR2023/045

The report requested formal approval to accept and spend £185k of funding received in the second round of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Changing Places scheme which funded changing places for people with complex and multiple disabilities in existing buildings or via new modular facilities. The Council had previously received £220k from the same grant fund to deliver four Changing Places facilities and the new funding would establish a further two Changing Places facilities in the Borough.

In response to a query from a Member, the Assistant Director: Culture and Regeneration advised that the Grant Officer had worked closely with colleagues in Social Care and the ‘Need 2 Change’ Community Group to identify suitable locations for Changing Places facilities.  Both the grant requirements and the need for venues to cover ongoing maintenance costs made it difficult to identify suitable locations and the Metropolitan Police Hayes Sports Club and the Biggin Hill Leisure Centre were the only venues which had expressed interest in the second round of the Changing Places scheme.  The ‘Need 2 Change’ Community Group were very positive about both bids.  Whilst the Metropolitan Police Hayes Sports Club was a private venue, it hosted a number of community events and activities and had confirmed that non-members would be able to access the facilities.  Consideration was being given to the eligibility of the refurbished Walnuts and West Wickham Leisure Centres for any future funding round of the Changing Places scheme and discussions were underway to explore other ways that Changing Places facilities could be included in the refurbished leisure centres.  A Member suggested that the Changing Places scheme would be more attractive to potential venues if the Local Authority was offered assistance through the grant programme with ongoing revenue costs, and this would be fed back to the Grant Officer. 

RESOLVED: That the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

·  Approve the allocation and spend of the Changing Places Fund grant monies totalling £185k, in line with the interventions set out in the funding application and within Report HPR2023/045, to enable the delivery of two further Changing Places facilities across the borough before 31 March 2024;

·  Approve the distribution of funds to MyTime Active and to the Metropolitan Police Hayes Sports Club to deliver Changing Places facilities at Biggin Hill Leisure Centre and The Warren subject to signed management and maintenance agreements;

·  Delegate authority to the Director of Housing, Planning, Property and Regeneration, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, to agree any changes to the delivery of Changing Places programme within the boundaries of the grant funding available and legal contract with the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; and,

·  Approve a funding application for any additional funding rounds announced by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities where suitable locations can be found and secured with no ongoing revenue costs.