Issue - meetings

(1)      note the draft 2025/26 Common Good Budget detailed in Appendix 1;

(2)      note the proposal from officers to amend the grant application criteria, as detailed in section 3.20; and

(3)      agree to maintain the status quo and reject the amended grant application criteria as detailed in section 3.20 of the report.

With reference to article 4 of the minute of meeting of the Council of 6 March 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Director of Corporate Services, which  responded to an instruction for the Chief Officer - Finance to carry out a review of the Common Good budget, and the grant application criteria, and to report to the Finance and Resources Committee by September 2024.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      note the draft 2025/26 Common Good Budget detailed in Appendix 1; and

(b)      approve the amended grant application criteria detailed in section 3.20.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Greig, moved:-

that the Committee –

(1)    note the draft 2025/26 Common Good Budget detailed in Appendix 1; 

(2)    note the proposal from officers to amend the grant application criteria, as detailed in section 3.20; and

(3)    agree to maintain the status quo and reject the amended grant application criteria as detailed in section 3.20 of the report.

Councillor Malik, seconded by Councillor Watson, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)    note the draft 2025/26 Common Good Budget detailed in Appendix 1; and agree that the SNP are using the Common Good for items that would normally come out of the General Revenue Account;

(2)    agree that using almost £1.6m to cover park and shrubbery maintenance means that those organisations that require a grant from the Common Good will be unable to obtain a grant as the money will have gone to cover parks and shrubbery rather than going to good causes such as those involved in anti-poverty; and

(3)    agree to maintain the status quo and reject the amended grant application criteria as detailed in section 3.20 of the report.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (5) – the Convener and Councillors Allard, Cooke, Delaney and Greig; for the amendment (4) – Councillors Brooks, Farquhar, Malik and Watson.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.