Area Committees

What is an Area Committee?

The Area Committee network is the only Council structure that provides access to all of the elected members of the Council, with every Councillor being a member of their local Area Committee.

To support the work of the Area Committees, individuals from local organisations (usually Community Councils) are invited to join their Area Committee to allow their local knowledge and experience to influence the discussions and decisions that are made at Area Committees.  Community members also work in partnership with the elected members to set the agenda for Area Committees.  The Committees meet every 6 weeks (excluding Summer, October and Winter recesses) and meetings are usually in the City Chambers.  Members of the public can attend Area Committees to observe.

The main role of Area Committees is to monitor how Council services are delivered and developed locally, helping to ensure that services reflect the policies of the Council and are responding to local needs and opportunities.  They offer Councillors and local people the opportunity to influence Council services within their area, either directly or by providing a local view before decisions are taken by other Council Committees, or by contributing to consultations on future plans and proposals that affect their areas.  This results in more open and informed decisions being taken on local issues.

Area Committees also provide a forum for the Council, its partners and communities to share their views on a range of issues and improve the co-ordination of local services.  Area Committees will initiate and undertake developments which relate specifically to local and/or Council-wide issues.



Funding for community groups and voluntary organisations
To assist the Area Committees in their role they are each allocated an Area Budget, totalling approximately £1.7m across the City.  These budgets are mainly used to provide grants to local community and voluntary organisations to provide services that will help to achieve the Council’s objectives.  Applications for funding should be developed locally to meet identified needs and they should demonstrate how they will benefit an area or community within the Committee’s boundary.  Therefore, funding is not available for ‘citywide’ projects.  Area Budgets are used mainly to fund projects that will develop or stimulate local community activity – it is unlikely that ‘running costs’ for a project would be funded.  To download an application form and guidance notes click on the link provided.

Area Committees can also provide financial support to Council Services and partner organisations for innovative developments in service provision if it can be demonstrated that they will add value to existing services or provide new or additional services.

Members of the public can raise issues with the Area Committees in a number of ways – by contacting the elected Councillors for their area; the community members of the Committee (normally Community Councils), or the officers responsible for supporting the Area Committees. 

Further information on the Council’s Area Committees as well as advice on grant funding can be obtained by contacting the Development Officers who support the Area Committees throughout the City.  They are:-