Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

The report provides detail on the launch of two new Climate Action Now (CAN) Funds: the CAN Seed Fund and the CAN Catalyst Fund.

The Area Committee is requested to note the report.

Officer contact: Nick Leslie | nick.leslie@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Assistant Director for Legal & Democratic Governance submitted a report of the Director of Place Management (copies of which had been circulated) which provided detail on the launch of two new Climate Action Now (CAN) Funds: the CAN Seed Fund and the CAN Catalyst Fund.

Liz Atherton (Climate Action Now Programme Manager, Stockport Council) attended the meeting to speak to the report and respond to any questions from the Area Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         Members were asked to encourage members of the public to make applications to the CAN Seed Fund for their projects, which could focus on reduce and repair, community climate action days, planting for biodiversity and more. The funds could also be considered for projects that had a climate connection, and where a group might not consider themselves as a ‘climate group’.

·         The CAN team were able to support prospective applicants with their applications, should help be needed.

·         It was asked that the grant allocation process for the CAN Seed Fund mimic the Central Stockport Area Committee Ward Flexibility Funding grant allocation process, where applications were considered by members independently of Area Committee meetings. It was agreed that a CAN Seed Fund statement form part of the ‘progress on area committee decisions’ report to enable members to monitor the fund and its effectiveness.

·         It was advised that prospective applicants could apply for a grant for existing projects, if they could demonstrate how the grant would support climate action.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.