Agenda item

Cabinet:

·       Agreed that the Council prepare and submit funding applications to the Veolia Havering Riverside Maintenance Trust (the “Trust”) that meet the objectives of the Trust and the Council.

·       Delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhoods, after consultation with the Leader, to identify projects which meet the required objectives and authorise submission of applications. 

Councillor Osman Dervish, Cabinet Member for the Environment, presented the report to Cabinet.

This detailed an update on the position in relation to the Veolia Havering Riverside Maintenance Trust (VHRMT).  This was set up by Veolia in response to the lease granted on the Veolia Landfill Site in Havering, which required long term funding to be made available to secure the aftercare of the site, once the area had been restored post-landfill. The total amount of funding available is approximately £5 million.

Due to legislative changes agreed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and ENTRUST, and the decision to abolish the Landfill Communities Fund by 2020, the way that this funding is distributed and used has been amended.

A previous Cabinet Report submitted for consideration on 10^th May, 2017, recommended that the Council approve submissions for funding to Veolia, and delegate authority to the Chief Executive to sign off these submissions. It also recommended that options for ensuring future funding for the maintenance and management of the site were explored, with the preferred option identified and put in place. These recommendations were agreed at that Cabinet meeting.

Subsequently, use of a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) as the mechanism for ensuring future funding was agreed, and work began on putting this together.

A number of eligible capital projects were submitted for funding in 2017/18, with a total value of approximately £750,000 awarded.

In 2018, the Council were notified that Veolia no longer required the future funding element to be put in place, meaning that setting up the CIO is no longer necessary. The funding was also opened up more widely, to all eligible organisations in Havering.

To reflect this change, this further report has been produced recommending that the Council continue to submit applications for capital project funding to Veolia in 2018/19  and 2019/20, and also removing the requirement for a future funding mechanism to be put in place.

Further detail in relation to the applications for funding will be supplied to Members.  It is important that other eligible community groups in Havering are made aware of the possibility of making applications for funding and work will take place to ensure this is sign posted and communicated clearly as possible with prominent publicity.

The Council has an option to take a pie-crust lease in relation to the site in 2031, where the responsibility for the maintenance of the site will remain the responsibility of the owners.  An endowment is in place to limit these running costs.

Cabinet:

·       Agreed that the Council prepare and submit funding applications to the Veolia Havering Riverside Maintenance Trust (the “Trust”) that meet the objectives of the Trust and the Council.

·       Delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhoods, after consultation with the Leader, to identify projects which meet the required objectives and authorise submission of applications.