The Alsager Partnership Review Panel has once again recommended that the organisation receives no further funding for the remainder of this year and the town council match funds an £8,000 grant for 2021/22.

Nub News previously reported that following calls for the review panel to be dissolved after a report from a ChALC representative was claimed to be a "mistake", panel members called for an emergency meeting to be held to discuss the organisation's funding for the remainder of this financial year and their grant request for 2021/22.

The emergency meeting was held on Thursday. After being provided bank statements from the partnership, review panel member Cllr Jane Hearne provided a balance sheet from the information supplied.

Cllr Hearne stated that the partnership's spend for 2020/21 was £25,076 with the organisation's income without any further funding from the town council being £24,892, which would be a shortfall of £183.54.

The Conservative councillor then added the partnership's current balance to the figures, which considers, £10,000 in reserves, dementia fund £3,793.00, youth fund £1,317.53 and the remainder of forecasted costs £6,472.19.

She also claimed when all financials are considered, the partnership would be left with a surplus of £75.43 credit at the end of the 2020.

Cllr Hearne added that on the 30th March 2021 (end of the financial year), after all the events had taken place and operating costs had been paid, Alsager Partnership will have a closing balance of £15,185.96 credit.

Therefore, due to the partnership's nine failings of the Service Level Agreement - signed by both parties, the review panel initiated 7.2 of the agreement and opted to not release this year's quarter two and four grant payments, due to the partnership having enough funds to cover everything for the remainder of the year.

Fellow review panel member, Cllr Ron Tyson asked John Poulson, chair of Alsager Partnership, what was the minimum amount the organisation required between now and March 30th.

Mr Poulson responded: "It depends on how you want us to operate, if you want us to keep going with the way Jane has suggested with the funding we have got, our objective would be to end up at the end of the year with £75.

"If we were taking my option then we would have an option to look at other things that we could be doing during that period of time."

Cllr Hearne said: "On the 30th March 2021, the partnership's bank balance will be at £15,000, I think that is a lot of money to have in an account.

"Just requesting money for the sake of it, I do not think is a viable request."

Cllr Sue Helliwell, chair of the review panel, asked Mr Poulson what the money requested would be spent on.

Cllr Helliwell said: "It does not sit comfortably with me that you are rolling it over."

Mr Poulson responded: "I accept what you are saying. I cannot fully justify why, but we pride ourselves on innovation and thinking forward.

"I do not deny those figures are quite accurate. But it means your focus is on achieving that by the end of the year, rather than looking forward or looking backwards at some of the things we have not been able to do and will not be able to do."

Town clerk, Nicola Clarke, told the panel that the partnership could request an emergency grant via the town council's general reserves budget if required.

The review panel recommended that the partnership did not receive the quarter two or quarter four payments of their 2020/21 grant request.

Looking at the partnership's grant request for next year, Cllr Hearne highlighted that administration costs had now been reduced from £10,145 to £3,645 due to the partnership no longer requiring the office space, providing a cost saving of £6,500 per annum.

Without funding from Alsager Town Council, when everything was taken into account there would be a shortfall of -£6,519.57.

The partnership stated in their £12,000 grant request for 2021/22 that they needed £21,000 to operate over the next financial year.

However, with the office space saving, Cllr Hearne felt the partnership needed just under £15,000.

Due to the office saving, the review panel recommended that the town council would match fund Cheshire East's grant and approve £8,000.

Having gone through the figures, Cllr Hearne claimed this would allow the partnership to do everything they had requested with £1,480 to cover any unforeseen shortfalls.

However, the review panel needed to decided on how this would be paid as 7.1 of the SLA stated: 'The approved annual funding will be payable by BACS in quarterly instalments in advance following the receipt of an invoice from Alsager Partnership'.

But the partnership would have protected funds in their bank account to ensure they kept a credit balance.

The panel proposed that they followed the SLA and the £8,000 was provided in four quarterly payments (£2000).

Mr Poulson told the panel that the partnership had never said they "did not need" the office accommodation.

Making a statement on the office space, Mr Poulson added: "From 2016 up until the end of March that was a place of work for Maria Ashdown, she was a permanent employee.

"It made sure that the partnership was accessible to anyone in Alsager and she did have visits every day.

"The departure of Maria at the end of March and the Covid-19 lockdown has meant the office has been used infrequently and it has been difficult to justify that expense (£6,500) this year."

There had been previous suggestions that the partnership had free office space available in Sandbach.

Mr Poulson added: "I have checked this out with my colleagues in Sandbach and they have said there is no accommodation.

"To move the office outside of Alsager does seem a bit farcical."

Mr Poulson told the panel that although closing the office would save money on the rental cost, he highlighted that there was a lot of assets within the office and asked the town council for assistance to move all the items out of the office into another location.

Cllr Helliwell pointed out that the partnership did previously use the same office space as Sandbach Partnership.

Mr Poulson said: "Going back six years when Sandbach was used as an office, the partnership was a completely different beast then."

Cllr Helliwell told the panel that the partnership would be able to hold their meetings at the fire station or library.

Cllr Poulson said: "If we are continuing then yes that would be the case."

Speaking to Cllr Helliwell, Arthur Harding, of the Alsager Partnership management team, said: "You have made it very clear between yourself and Jane that the office in theory needs to close due to that large amount of money that you feel we are spending."

Mr Harding told the panel that the partnership wanted the town council to help them find a replacement office/storage location where they could operate.

The partnership's office contract expires in February.

The panel proposed that the town council supported the partnership with manpower and potential financial support to leave their office including storage of equipment.

A town council meeting will take place tonight to approve any recommendations for the partnership's funding for the remaining of this year.

The Finance, Policy and Governance Committee will meet on 5th January 2021 to look at recommendations to fund next year's grant request, with final approval on 12th January ahead of the town council's 2021/22 budget.