Area Action Groups

Camden Council - Information request (FOI/EIR) - Central team

Our reference: 6973537

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Camden Council - Information request (FOI/EIR) - Central team

Our reference: 6973537

Dear Ms T Morgan,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request received on 28^th
March 2011. Your request has now been considered and the information
requested is enclosed.

You requested information on the following:
The councils Area Action Groups (formerly called Area Forums) seem to be
informally operating as parish/community councils in that budgets have
been allocated to the area groups to spend on improvements in the
locality.
Under what authority/legislation is the council allocating funding to ward
cllrs to spend on local improvements via these groups?
Response
Since they had no powers to make grants, Camden's area forums were
permitted access to -L-200k of the capital maintenance budget from the
borough's Culture and Environment department during the 2009/2010
financial year only.
This was subsequent to a review of the operation of area forums that
consulted residents and those who had attended area forums. This review
was reported to Camden's Executive on 19 November 2008. The report on the
review noted that residents expected the area forums to have some impact
on local priorities. These priorities had been identified during early
meetings of the area forums, and the majority of them related to the
environmental improvements, `designing out' crime, and youth services, for
example. The Executive instructed officers to report back in the following
year with proposals to give the area forums more significance for their
areas.
On 28 April 2009 Camden's Executive considered a report suggesting a
change to the area forums model "to provide direct influence over an
allocation of -L-200k from the Culture and Environment directorate's
capital maintenance budget as a series of pilots in 2009/10." The
committee agreed this recommendation, and that it should be allocated at
-L-10k per ward for 18 wards, leaving a -L-20k `contingency' amount.
In practice, the projects that received all or part of the -L-10k had been
proposed and agreed at open public area forum meetings. Attendance at
these area forums was open to anyone living, working or studying in the
ward, and people from outside the ward could and did occasionally attend
the forums. The meetings had been publicised by flyers, posters, through
Camden's website and in `Your Camden', which was delivered to every
household in the borough.
Subsequent to the meeting's agreement, the proposal was scrutinised by the
head of the service department to which it related, before being signed
off by the Leader of the Council and the Assistant Chief Executive. Only
then could this "one-off grant" be paid.
In conclusion, although councillors were able to influence the proposals
selected for funding, the final decision for spending were delegated
authority to the Director of Camden's Culture and Environment department
supported by the governance structure detailed above. This was to ensure
compliance with the council's policies and the law.

Please note the information is still covered by copyright legislation. You
are not authorised to re-use this information for commercial or research
purposes as defined by the Re-Use of Public Sector Regulations 2005. If
you do wish to re-use this information please contact the Information
Access Team, Legal Services/ Second Floor, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street,
London WC1H 9JE, who will assess your request.

You have the right of appeal against the decision. If you wish to appeal
please set out in writing your grounds of appeal (within 2 months of this
letter) and send it to: Freedom of Information Appeals Panel, Central
Complaints Unit, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE and your
complaint will be dealt with through our Internal Review procedure.

If you are still not satisfied following the Internal Review, you have a
right to appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office. They can be
contacted at: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire. SK9 5AF.
Telephone: 01625 545 700
[1]www.ico.gov.uk
Yours faithfully

Michael Warby
Access to Information Officer - FOI & DPA

Email: [email address]
Phone: 020 7974 7857

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