The total funding which is set aside for Rural Access
Grants is as follows:-
2006/07 - £6,250
2007/08 - £7,000
2008/09 - £8,000
The funding available is capital funding only and
this should be taken into account when making applications. If a
project requires any revenue funding this should be sourced from
elsewhere and included as your match funding.
Who can apply for Rural Access Grants?
Any
business, parish council, community group, organisation or
registered charity located within the rural area of the Borough of
Telford & Wrekin can apply for grant funding. If you are unsure
if your area is classified as rural, please contact the Rural
Access Officer on 01952 384608 or email
transport.policy@telford.gov.uk
How much funding can be applied for?
Grant
funding up to a maximum of £1,000 can be applied for, however
applicants are expected to provide an additional minimum of 25%
match funding. Of the 25% match funding up to 10% can be 'in kind'
to cover volunteers time, the remaining 15% must be cash funding.
Please remember that any money applied for through the Rural Access
Grants scheme is capital funding only.
What can Rural Access Grant funding be used
for?
Rural Access Grants must be used to make
improvements to peoples access to services. This can be by way of
getting people to services, or alternatively getting services to
people. Of particular importance is the need to improve peoples
access to places of employment in the rural area.
The Rural Access to Services Programme has a number of aims, of
which applications for funding must meet at least one of the aims
below:-
- Work with members of the Local Accessibility Partnership
to identify, address and improve issues of accessibility throughout
the rural area of Telford & Wrekin
- Work in partnership through the Local Accessibility Partnership
to provide services in rurally isolated areas, and/or improve
accessibility to services using transport solutions
- Through the use of innovative schemes, such as Wheels to Work
and journey sharing, provide improved accessibility for rural
employees to reach their place of work, and provide rural
businesses with an accessible workforce
- Work with partners to improve accessibility to areas of
interest for residents and visitors
- Provide solutions which enhance opportunities for people
throughout the rural area, which are sustainable beyond the funding
term of the Rural Access to Services Programme
- Through the use of marketing, publicity and other projects,
increase peoples access to information about RASP schemes, thereby
increasing sustainability in the longer term
Your application may or may not have a transport aspect, but it
should be clear how your project will improve access to services.
Please contact the Rural Access Officer on 01952 384608 or
transport.policy@telford.gov.uk
if you wish to discuss a proposed project prior to submitting an
application.
The application process
How to apply
If you think your project fits with at
least one of the aims of the RASP (detailed above), complete the
application form (PDF).
Guidance on completion of the application
(PDF) can also be printed off from this page.
Should you encounter any difficulty, or have any questions about
your application, please contact the Rural Access Officer on 01952
384608 or
transport.policy@telford.gov.uk
Once you have completed and signed the form, please send it
to:-
Rural Access Officer
Transport Policy & Management
Telford & Wrekin Council
Darby House
PO Box 212
Lawn Central
Telford TF3 4LB
What happens next?
Your application will be
assessed in two stages.
Stage 1 - The Rural Access Officer will give your application an
initial assessment. Projects which the Officer does not feel meet
the aims of the RASP will not be successful beyond this stage.
However, if the Officer thinks your application is borderline, you
may be contacted to give some additional details about your
project, before a decision is made.
Applications which are approved in principle at this stage will
pass to stage two of the process.
Stage 2 - Applications which are approved in principle will be put
forward for consideration by a number of the members of the Local
Accessibility Partnership, who will make the final decision on the
awarding of grant funding. All applications which pass to stage 2
will receive a letter to confirm when they will hear the final
decision.
What happens of an application is
successful?
If your application is successful, you
will be notified in writing. The date on the letter will be your
official date of confirmation, and the date from which you can
start to spend your grant funding. Grant funding can only be
claimed once the money has been spent and on production of invoices
and a monitoring report. A claim form and monitoring report will be
included with your confirmation letter. Grant funding will not be
reimbursed against money spent before your date of
confirmation.
You will also be required to complete a final report once the
project is complete. The Rural Access Officer will contact you to
arrange a date for the submission of your final report.
If your application is successful you will be unable to apply for
further grant funding in that financial year, however you can make
further applications in subsequent years.
What happens if an application is not
successful?
If your application is unsuccessful you
will receive a letter outlining the reasons why. The decision of
the LAP is final. Your organisation will be able to make further
applications for other projects, but will not be able to make
further applications for the same
project. |