Rotherham councillor 'perplexed' over £67,000 of unspent community funds

An independent councillor says he is ‘perplexed’ that other councillors had not spent £67,000 in funding for their wards as of December.
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Councillor Michael Bennett-Sylvester, independent representatives for Dalton and Thrybergh submitted a freedom of information request to RMBC, which revealed that 20 councillors had more than half of their budget left unspent as of December 9 - just weeks until the original deadline of the end of January.

Each councillor is given £2,584 in a Community Leadership Fund to spend on projects across their ward, totalling £152,000 across the borough.

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Councillor Bennett-Sylvester says he was advised in November that the cash could not be rolled over to the next financial year, but RMBC have since confirmed that councillors can use unspent funds in the next financial year.

RMBC say the policy has always allowed cash to be carried over except in an election year, and the information was given to councillors incorrectly.

Jo Brown, Rotherham Council’s assistant chief executive said: “There has been no change in the deadline in this process, however, incorrect guidance was issued to members at the start of this financial year that implied the ward budgets could not be carried forward.

"This was down to human error and as soon as it was identified, officers corrected the guidance to members. We’re assuring residents that they won’t be affected by this issue and that members have sufficient time to spend their budget.

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“We apologise for any inconvenience that this error may have caused members.

"Allowing members to carry forward this funding if they need to means that it can be used more flexibly to help meet a need in their community at a specific time.”

Councillor Bennett-Sylvester said: "I'm perplexed how so far into the year we have so many councillors, if they have been interacting with their local communities can have any funding left never mind the majority?

"In my ward residents said they wanted more things for young people to do so I helped fund a new SEND youth club in Dalton and equipment to help young people get more from the Duke of Edinburgh's award scheme at Thrybergh Academy, residents said they wanted cleaner better neighbourhoods so I funded equipment for the local green spaces group.

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"The CLF isn't big but it can make a difference and I would urge all residents who want a better neighbourhood to hold their councillors to account and ask them what they are doing with it."

The figures from RMBC show that of the councillors elected in May, only Councillors Tom and Zack Collingham (Conservative, Thurcroft and Wickersley South), and Bennet-Sylvester have spent their budget in full.

Sitwell's councillors were yet to spend any of their fund as of December 9.

Councillor Simon Burnett, who represents the Sitwell Ward, told the local democracy reporting service that the funding has been allocated for projects such as play equipment and school resources in Sitwell, and he is waiting for the paperwork to be processed.

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Councillor Burnett added: “ A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes in Sitwell Ward to make sure taxpayers’ money is spent carefully and with value for money in mind.

"The bulk of my Community Leadership Fund is being spent on projects for local schools on things like Outdoor play equipment and school resources.

"This has already been agreed but I am just waiting for confirmation that the paperwork has been processed.

"I think it’s a real shame that other councillors have used blunt measurements to attack me without stopping to think or ask questions first.

"I am very proud of the work I have done in less than a year as a councillor; including work on road safety, fly tipping, road resurfacing, cutting back overgrown trees and much more."

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