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Play Area Renewal Fund

Guidance Notes

IMAGE: Orkney Islands Council coat of arms and logo, identifying the issuing organisation. The logo text reads “ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL”. The small motto text on the crest is not fully legible.

School Place, Kirkwall, KW15 1NY

Telephone (01856) 873535

leisure.culture@orkney.gov.uk

www.orkney.gov.uk

[Version 1: July 2022]

  1. Eligibility criteria for the Playpark Renewal Fund (PRF) will be flexible with each project being considered by the Play Area renewal Fund Panel on its own merits. All projects assisted by the PRF must provide, or be able to provide benefit to the community as a whole. Funding is not prioritised to any particular area(s) of Orkney.

  2. The following basic principles have been applied:-

    • projects supported by the PRF should have a widespread and long-lasting community benefit.
    • the PRF should attract external or match funding into the County as possible.
    • all PRF assistance is discretionary.

  3. Formally-constituted community groups can apply: in the past community councils, development trusts, community associations, heritage societies and many other local community groups have successfully applied for funding.

  4. Playpark Renewal projects for routine maintenance proposals are not eligible, small improvement project are eligible.

  5. Where appropriate, the applicant must provide evidence of title to any property to be upgraded, prior to approval of any grant assistance. To be eligible for assistance, any property to be improved must be in the total control of the applicant and in the ownership of a locally-based organisation. Any lease of a property to be developed using PRF should be agree with the Council with the following:-

    • Applicants to the Play Area Renewal Fund provide evidence of a lease for the play area they are looking to develop, that is for as long as possible including full responsibility for the site and all associated ongoing costs for the play area identified in developing.
    • Or for a minimum of where the applicant has the lease during development and thereafter returns to the Council for ongoing maintenance and repairs with the Community Group carrying out fundraising an agreed amount per year to put towards maintenance costs.

  6. Funding of 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum PRF grant of £25,000 per project, may be available.

  7. All PRF applications should seek to demonstrate positive attributes in respect of the following factors, each of which will be assessed and evaluated in the report to Play Area Renewal Fund Panel on the application:-

    • Evidence of need (for example, this could be demonstrated by a local survey).
    • Link to the Council’s Play Area Strategy.
    • Sustainability.
    • Achievability.
    • Serving the local public and having lasting benefits.
    • Opportunities improved or developed.
    • Enriching quality of life.
    • Value for money.
    • Partnership funding.
    • Ongoing maintenance plan.

  8. Applicants should therefore attempt to address the factors detailed at 9. above in a development plan, which should accompany any application for PRF support. Applicants are encouraged to provide as much relevant information as possible in their development plan to assist in considering the proposals.

  9. Applicants are encouraged to seek endorsement of their project proposals from the relevant local community council(s), and to include this within their development plan.

  10. Evidence of efforts made to secure external match funding should be submitted along with the PRF application. Officers will suggest relevant sources of possible match funding at the enquiry stage and applicants are required to demonstrate that they have followed up these recommendations accordingly.

  11. Confirmation of total project funding is not required at the application stage, although such confirmation will be required before any funding from the PRF is paid out.

  12. In order to demonstrate that applicant groups have endeavoured to achieve best value, the following basis for determining project costs will be adopted:-

  • For projects with estimated capital costs, a budget costing, compiled by a competent person, should be submitted with the PRF application: successful applications will be subject to a requirement to demonstrate that a competitive tendering exercise has been carried out with at least three tender bids being sought.

  1. All grant claims will be calculated on the basis of evidence of expenditure.

  2. If PRF assistance is approved, projects should commence within one year of the date of offer, or the offer may be withdrawn. Claims should only be submitted providing evidence of the expenses occurred to receive PRF grant pay out.

  3. No legal undertakings will be required in respect of projects undertaken by community councils, or in respect of any project with a total value less than £10,000. In such cases a grant funding agreement will be required.

  4. Where a total project cost exceeds £10,000, the Play Area Renewal Fund Panel will determine whether appropriate security should be taken over any appropriate heritable property improved as a result of the projects. The applicant group’s own legal costs in this regard, together with the costs of any necessary statutory consents, should be included in the total project cost for the purpose of calculating grant assistance from the PRF.

  5. PRF grants are subject to the following grant obligation periods: five years for grants of up to £20,000 and ten years for grants in excess of £20,000. This means any assets purchased or improved using PRF funding cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of during this period without the Council’s prior permission.

  6. Any additional funds awarded to the project, from any other source, following final approval of grant assistance from the PRF, must be reported to the funding Officers, following which any grants approved will be subject to adjustments. Measures to ensure that projects do not achieve more than 100% funding in total, when all sources of funding have been confirmed, will be applied as required on a project by project basis.

  7. The applicant will be required to submit audited final accounts to the Council within twelve months of the project being completed.

  8. Successful applicants will be required to acknowledge assistance provided by the PRF in all press releases and marketing materials, etc. The Council will be entitled to place a plaque, etc. in or on any premises supported by the PRF.