Purpose

To approve the allocation of funding to new Environmental Improvements Programme (EIP) applications for 2023-24 following consideration by Area Committees.

Content

Cambridge City Council

Record of Executive Decision

Environmental Improvements Programme 2023-24

Decision of: Councillor Sam Carling, Executive Councillor
for Open Spaces and City Services.

Reference: 23/URGENCY/E&C/19

Date of decision: 4 January 2024                              

Date Published on website: 4 January 2024

Decision Type: Non-Key

Matter for Decision: To approve the allocation of
funding to new Environmental Improvements Programme (EIP) applications for
2023-24 following consideration by Area Committees.

Why the Decision had to be made (and any alternative
options):

A further round of project applications was invited in Late
Summer and early Autumn of 2023.  Some 74
viable submissions were received and 31 nonviable, not all the viable projects
were affordable within the capital funding available – so a mechanism for
prioritisation was needed and officers gave an indicative guide on a
red/amber/green scale.  When EIP
applications were sought in 2019/20 (prior to the Covid pandemic) Area
Committees were able to approve the local area programmes, since they met in
person.  With Area Committee meetings in
2023, now continuing to take place digitally that is no longer possible, with
the decisions required to be taken by the appropriate Executive Councillor (Open
Spaces and City Services).  The views of
all local ward councillors were sought through the Area Committees where they
were asked to consider project submissions within their areas and asked to
consider the area-based lists of recommended priority projects for
consideration by the Executive Councillor for approval decision, the Executive
Councillor approved these priority projects.

The Executive Councillor’s decision:

To approve for development and delivery the local area and
strategic environmental improvement programme projects as listed in the Appendix
A.

Reason for the decision: As Area Committees are
currently not meeting in person the Executive Councillor for Open Spaces and
City Services is needed to approve the local area and strategic allocation EIP
project programmes.

Scrutiny Consideration: The Chair and Spokesperson of
Environment and Community Scrutiny Committee were consulted prior to the action
being authorised.

Report: The attached addended at Appendix A,
identifies the prioritised projects within the Area and Strategic Environmental
Improvement Programmes, these are to be developed subject to budgets, resource
availability, the outcomes of local consultation, and any further processes and
approvals required.

Conflict of interest: [None].

Comments: The City Council has a budget of £170,000
(£100,000 for local area and £70,000 for strategic city-wide projects) for
Environmental Improvements during 2023/24. 
North, South and East Area Committees supported the Officer
recommendations and following consideration the Executive Councillor approved
these.  West Central Area Committees
members discussed an alternative recommendation to the Officer report,
following the Committee; Officers investigated these recommendations and
adapted the recommendation following further investigation and after
consideration the Executive Councillor approved the adapted recommendation. The
committee members have been informed of this decision, and the reasoning as to
why has been communicated to the appropriate project applicants and where
deemed necessary this has been discussed further with the Executive Councillor.

In addition, note that £10,000 EIP Strategic
Funding has at present been allocated to sN3 – 2024 - Biodiversity Improvements on St Alban’s Recreation Space, with the
expectation that further money will be allocated from s106 to supplement this
project, subject to local member consultation.

 

Appendix A

 

Project Number


Scheme Title


Project Values £


Funding Available £




N2 - 2024


A second wildflower meadow in Five
Trees, off Fen Road


5,000


 




N6 - 2024


Support Mayfield School to increase
biodiversity & habitat for pollinators


4,500


 




N12 - 2024


Water Street Preservation Plan


3,000


 




N14 - 2024


Boosting Biodiversity in Happy Bee
Streets


2,000


 




N15 - 2024


Raised Beds on Hazelwood Close


1,000


 




N17 - 2024


Ramsden Square Rec biodiversity
improvement


1,000


 




N22 -2024


Improve biodiversity and safety for
children and dogs at Chesterton Rec


3,000


 




N23 -2024


Protection of grassy areas and
biodiversity increase at front of Rutland Close


3,000


 




N24 - 2024


Building Biodiversity at Alexandra
Gardens


4,600


 




 


 


 


 




TOTAL NORTH AREA EIP


£27,100


£27,184




 


 


 


 




WC2 - 2024


Protect a beautiful ancient willow
and help biodiversity recover


4,750


 




WC6 - 2024


Histon Road Rec Biodiversity
Improvements


7,000


 




WC8 - 2024


Biodiversity in Ascension Parish
Burial Ground


4,250


 




WC10 - 2024


Creation of a Biodiversity Hub at St Clement’s Church in central Cambridge


4,350


 




 


 


 


 




TOTAL WEST CENTRAL AREA EIP


£20,350


£20,373




 


 


 


 




S2- 2024


Improvement to Cherry Hinton Recreation
Ground by adding picnic benches.


4,500


 




S3- 2024


Reclaiming Green Space on Church
End/Rosemary Lane Through Tree Planting


4,500


 




S4- 2024


Benches for Wulfstan
Way


6,000


 




S7- 2024


Community Development Opportunities
at Clay Farm Community Garden


4,000


 




S8- 2024


Growing Nightingale Garden Community'
by increasing biodiversity and engagement


4,350


 




 


 



 




TOTAL SOUTH AREA EIP


£23,350


£23,329




 


 


 


 




E1 - 2024


Rainwater collection for Millennium
Gardens, Petersfield


2,300


 




E2 - 2024


Creating Spaces to Meet on Coleridge
Rec.


5,000


 




E7 - 2024


Rawlyn Corner bench


2,000


 




E8 - 2024


Plantings around Equiano Bridge.


2,000


 




E9 - 2024


Extend the successful Green the
Streets scheme in Petersfield ward


2,000


 




E10 - 2024


Blind corner needs` safety measures


3,000


 




E11 - 2024


Community Noticeboard needed


1,800


 




E12 - 2024


Riverside shrub bed planting


2,500


 




E21 - 2024


Aberdeen
Avenue garden, Accordia,
or similar location


3,500


 




E22- 2024


Install bench in front of St Thomas
Hall


2,000


 




E23 - 2024


2 x Community Information
Noticeboards in Romsey


3,000


 




 


 


 


 




TOTAL EAST AREA EIP


£29,100


£29,114




 


 


 


 




TOTAL OVERALL AREA FUNDED EIP
PROJECTS


£99,850


£100,000










Strategic Schemes






Project Number


Scheme Title


Approved Value £





sE18 - 2024


Increase biodiversity and tree cover
on Cherry Hinton Road


20,000





sN3 - 2024


Biodiversity Improvements on St
Alban’s Recreation Space


10,000





sN5 - 2024


Biodiversity Improvements on Arbury
Town Park


20,000





sN9 - 2024


Hedges for Kings Hedges - for
Biodiversity and People Friendly Spaces.


10,000





sN18 - 2024


Greening Gilbert Road Through Tree
Planting


10,000











TOTAL OVERALL STRATEGIC EIP PROJECTS


£70,000