Concern about Breckland Council £1.2m Inspiring Communities

Breckland Council's cabinet members unanimously voted in favour of investing the money in its Inspiring Communities programme, which was initially launched in 2020.

But councillors are worried about the methods used to measure the outcomes of the scheme and ensure that there is "value for money".

The £1.2m initiative is aimed at improving access to affordable food, mental health services and housing support. 

The funding, derived from its reserves, will be split among a number of different organisations, such as Citizens Advice, Mind and council departments.

Harry Clarke, Breckland councillor (Image: Newsquest)Harry Clarke, leader of the opposition Labour group, said: "I would like to see a report on how much improvement there has been since it first started.

"It would be good to know how many people we have reached through this scheme - and how many we have not yet reached - and which areas have benefited the most."

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The project has been renewed for another three years. It supports groups that are at risk from issues such as health inequalities and crime. 

It follows a previous programme which the council has hailed as a success and reportedly saved the health system £1.8m annually through early intervention work.

However, some councillors feel that there was not enough consultation surrounding the next round of the scheme.

Mr Clarke added: "I would have liked to see some more meat on the bone. This is one area where it would have been particularly beneficial to have the involvement of all councillors.

"I think that some areas of this still need some discussion and a more collaborative approach. We have to be hopeful that there is room for contribution still."