Delay over decision on Market Drayton sports cash pot
Sports clubs, charities and organisations will have to wait for a share of local government cash after the decision on how to award the money was delayed.
Twelve organisations applied to the Market Drayton Local Joint Committee (LJC) for a slice of funding at a meeting held in Moreton Say Village Hall yesterday.
The committee, which has £18,241 to allocate, was awarding money for the last time due to budget cuts at Shropshire Council.
However, the 12 groups requested grants worth more than £29,000 with councillors deciding a formula was needed to decide how the money should be distributed.
Chairman, Councillor David Minnery said: "We do not have enough money to go around. The most dangerous thing you can do in these situations is make rash judgements because you risk someone seriously losing out.
"We need to go away and come up with a formula that will distribute the money the best way for the various organisations."
Despite not awarding the cash, the committee did refuse three applications.
Requests for £3,306 from the Market Drayton Men's Shed group to buy equipment and an application from Get Shropshire Online to fund a six-week IT course in Norton in Hales at a cost of £800 were turned down. An appeal for £700 from the Norton in Hales Community Newsletter team for a photocopier was also refused.
Amongst the applications still on the table include a request for £4,000 towards a new building for Mencap Market Drayton.
An application for the same amount has been made to launch a community café in Longalnds Play Area in Market Drayton.
Meanwhile Market Drayton Cricket Club has asked for £1,450 to improve its car park.
Councillor Minnery said all applications will be decided at public meeting held before March 31.
Other groups to request funding included village football team Childs Ercall FC who asked for £4,000 to upgrade their changing rooms.
The Market Community Partnership asked for £1,500 to fund an arts festival in the town later this year, while volunteers from Hinstock Memorial Hall asked for 1,471.00 towards general upkeep of the building.
Councillor Minnery said: "At all previous meetings we have always had more money than applications so we find ourselves in new territory.
"Clearly people have got wind that we will not be able to offer grants in the future so we have had a surge in applications."
