1,       that the following project receives funding from the Pride in Place funding allocation:

Melville Community Hub

£50,000 Capital funding for the construction, installation, fit-out and making good of the Melville Community Hub structure, and;

2.       that the funding award for the following project be amended:

Barton Recreation Ground

The previously agreed £35,000 be increased to £60,000 revenue for architectural design, surveys, and cost validation for plans to transform Barton Recreation Ground into a modern Community, Health, Wellbeing and Sports Hub, acting as the physical anchor for the Torbay cradle-to-career strategy across Torquay.

Pride in Place funding is a ten-year funding stream from the MHCLG, and is passed to Torbay Council as the Accountable Body. The Torquay Place Leadership Board is responsible for determining how the funds are allocated. The Place Leadership Board is comprised of a number of business community leaders, including representatives from Torbay Council, and is chaired independently. The Board’s Terms of Reference have been properly adopted, and is subject to strict Governance procedures, reporting progress to both Torbay Council and the MHCLG.

An alternative option would have been to refuse the applications. This option was discounted

as the applications met the criteria for funding and were approved by the Board.

The decision will come into force with effect immediately.

Torquay Place Leadership Board are responsible for determining how the Torquay Pride in Place Funding should be allocated among community organisations who submit a bid for project funds, in line with the agreed governance process set out in Terms of Reference and Operation document. The Board have undertaken a thorough review of bids submitted and are required to allocate funding to projects who best meet the previously agreed priorities of the Board and all stipulations and requirements set down by the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government (MHCLG). Once the funding is approved by the Board, the Council’s Chief Finance Officer will ratify the Board’s decision and approve the draw down of the Grant Funding from the MHCLG allocation and will publish a Record of Decision.  This round of funding allocations was determined at a meeting of the Board on 15 June 2026, where they considered a request to increase the funding agreed in Round 1 for Barton Recreation Ground to enable the project to proceed to RIBA4 which would enable the project to secure more funding to implement.

None.