Spending on local services, community groups and events announced as Sidmouth Town Council announces the coming year's budget

Nearly £80,000 in grants and support to community organisations is to be awarded by Sidmouth Town Council, which has just announced its spending budget for the next financial year.

Additional funding from the general budget and reserves has been earmarked for other recipients, including £34,000 for the Sidmouth Folk Festival, whose organisers are due to decide around the beginning of April whether it can go ahead, in some form, this summer.

The overall spending plan aims to continue the council's provision of services, keep its public spaces well maintained and move ahead with projects including the replacement building for the Manstone Youth Centre.

There will be a 4.7 per cent increase in the element of council tax that funds town council services, meaning its share of the annual council tax bill for a Band D property will be £89.51.

Who's receiving grants from the town council this year?

The grants being given out for the coming year's events include £3,000 for the Science Festival, £2,500 for the Coastal Community Hub to organise Seafest, £500 for the Carnival and £326 for the Sidmouth and East Devon Walking Festival.

The Sidmouth Arboretum will receive £2,500, Citizens Advice East Devon will get £2,000 and the Sid Vale and East Devon Talking Newspaper will get £1,000.

There are smaller awards for Sidmouth Sailing Club, Sidbury Millennium Green Trust and the SAVE food hub.

From the general budget and earmarked reserves, Sidmouth In Bloom is getting £7,000, and the Sidmouth Town Band and Admiral Nurse are each receiving £5,000.

Some organisations have been allocated grants on condition that they can match the amount awarded through their own fundraising. The Sidmouth Coastal Community Hub CIC has a conditional grant of £2,000 towards its Ham Garden project and the Norman Lockyer Observatory Society has a conditional £2,200, both from the grants budget. There will be a further £5,000 towards the Ham Garden Project from the general budget if it can match that funding, and the Chit Rocks beach access project has a conditional award of £5,000.

There's a full list of this year's grants here.

'Significant investment' in youth services, tourism and practical help for people

Following the spending decisions for the coming year, the member with special responsibility for finance, Councillor Chris Lockyear, said: "This budget represents significant continuation in investment for youth services, tourism and the practical things that help those who live in the Sid Valley against the continuing backdrop and threat of Covid-19.

"I am pleased that at this difficult time, the council has increased its level of support to help so many organisations that support the cultural, sporting and environmental activities in the Valley."

The council's chairman Ian Barlow said: "The Council has been particularly busy in the past year helping our local voluntary and statutory services deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I am proud that Sidmouth Town Council was one of the first to harness the power of our fantastic local volunteers and deliver the council's Covid-19 information leaflet.

"Working with other organisations such as Sid Valley Help and our wonderful community, we are, as a town, weathering the storm and helping deliver support where needed."