Purpose

To seek approval on the spending allocation of the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding received by the Council

Decision

That Cabinet:

1. 1.    Approved the allocation of proposed asylum dispersal funding as detailed within Table Two in the report.
2. 2.    Delegated authority to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing to allocate the remaining funding or reallocate any elements of the funding in Table Two which are not required or under-utilised to other permitted activity, subject to the relevant financial thresholds.
3. 3.    Approved the adoption of the SK Community Fund process to award any elements of available funding to community organisations as detailed in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

Reasons for the decision

The Council has been awarded £666,000 of Government funding and is projected to receive a further amount of £321,600 in financial year 2026/27. The funding can only be utilised to mitigate the impact of asylum seekers in dispersal accommodation within the district of South Kesteven.

Therefore, it is necessary to determine how the funding can be best utilised to support asylum seekers and the wider community. The amounts allocated in Table Two are estimated amounts and may be subject to change. Therefore, it was recommended that delegated authority be provided to reallocate any elements of the funding which are under-utilised or not required. As the proposals include elements which will be delivered by community organisations (Voluntary Sector fund, and leisure and cultural activities) it will be important that the Council establishes a clear and transparent process for community groups to bid for the monies available.

Other options considered

The Council has received funding specifically to support asylum seekers and the wider community in relation to the Government’s Asylum Dispersal Scheme. It will be necessary to report on how the funding has been allocated and spent. Therefore the ‘do nothing’ option has been discounted.