Community funding process like ‘applying for a mortgage’

Community funding process like ‘applying for a mortgage’

4 December 2024

A MAJOR overhaul of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s application process for community funding does not go far enough, according to a local politician.

A six-month review into the accessibility and fairness of the local authority’s financial assistance programme began in April following a proposal by Rowallane councillor Callum Bowsie.

At Monday night’s full council meeting it was confirmed the process has been overhauled, but Cllr Bowsie said it required “further tweaking” so that elected representatives are presented with much more information.

While he welcomed the review and moves to simplify the application process for community grants for groups “which are at the backbone of the district”, he said funding should be as accessible and fair as possible.

It was agreed following a behind-closed-doors discussion on Monday night that the council should take a further look at an applicant’s right to appeal when they have been rejected for a grant at stage one of the assessment process.

Cllr Bowsie said applications for council funding had become “far too onerous” for many voluntary groups trying to do their best for their community.

He said he knew of one group that “reached the end of its tether” and ended up folding because the paperwork that was needed to request just £500 to run a Halloween festival was like “applying for a mortgage”.

Cllr Bowsie said while the simplification of the funding application process is welcome, he did not  believe the review went far enough or reflected what had been agreed in April to be included in the review. 

He recalled that a major sports club had a development grant rejected because the assessor said that proof of planning permission had not been included in the application. 

“When the club demonstrated the evidence had been included, it was told there was nothing that could be done because the decision had already been made and there was no right to an 

appeal once an application has already been rejected at stage one of the application process,” Cllr Bowsie explained.

“Only this week, another local club has been in touch to tell me its application has not been assessed correctly either and again has no right to appeal. This is wholly unfair and the current policy needs to be changed.”

Cllr Bowsie said councillors unanimously agreed that the council still needs to deal with this outstanding shortcoming in the financial assistance review and it will happen in January.

He said another outstanding concern was the remit of the review, but his opinion did not enjoy cross-party support. 

He said he was concerned at the lack of information on the list of grants councillors are being asked to approve as they are only presented with each applicant’s serial numbers and a recommended funding amount. 

He added: “We haven’t a clue who these applicants are or why they are being recommended for thousands of pounds of ratepayers’ money or alternatively why they are being recommended for rejection.

“Sometimes there is disagreement about how accurately an application has been accessed and as a so-called scrutinising committee we are being told to blindly accept that the officer recommendations are all accurate and proportionate. That’s not scrutinising.”