1       To maintain strong links with local communities, community organisations and local community planning structures.

2       To receive minutes of all local partnership bodies in which the Council participates and maintain an overview of local partnership arrangements and activities ensuring there is consistency in the various approaches.

3       To make local services more accountable to elected members of the Council and through them, to the local community.

4       To ensure that, subject to local needs and opportunities, the delivery of Council services and the use of its resources reflect the policies and priorities of the Council.

5       To improve the identification of and make services more responsive to local issues and priorities.

6       To ensure that Council services, partner agencies and the local community work together as necessary to implement the Council's policies and to respond to local issues more effectively.

7       To work with partner agencies to promote the aims, principles and actions relating to the policy objectives, and in particular social and economic inclusion objectives, contained within key social and economic plans devised by the Council and to ensure that these are given an appropriately high priority by the Council's services.

8       To make recommendations on those plans and proposals for service delivery.

9       To initiate and undertake developments which are consistent with Council policy and within the available financial allocations.

10     To approve applications for funding from the Council's area budgets and area grants schemes.

11     To consider and make recommendations to the appropriate committee regarding grants awarded under specific legislation.

12     To carry out other functions as may be determined from time to time by the Council.