Key infrastructure projects to benefit from £6.3m funding

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Key infrastructure projects to benefit from £6.3m funding

Posted by on 21 September 2021 | Comments

Tags: Community Infrastructure Levy, housing, planning

Over £6million in contributions from new housing developments has been allocated to support the expansion of schools, leisure and health facilities in East Suffolk.

On Tuesday 7 September, East Suffolk Council’s cabinet agreed to award a total of £6,308,245 in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to support seven major projects which are identified within the Local Plan as being key to planned growth within the local area.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a fee which the Council can charge developers when new housing is built in the district. CIL can then be put towards improvements to local infrastructure, such as play areas, schools and GP surgeries. The Council holds a list of key projects which are included in the Local Plan and these projects are then put forward for the latest round of CIL funding.

Cllr Tony Cooper, East Suffolk’s assistant cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said: “To keep up with the demand for new homes, the number of housing developments is increasing in the district, and this impacts on local schools and health services. Within our Local Plan, we have identified these seven projects as essential in order to support the planned growth in the area and using the Community Infrastructure Levy to support improvements to these facilities will significantly improve the lives of local residents.

“Many of the projects receiving CIL funding this year involve the expansion of educational settings, which are needed to support new developments in these communities. These planned improvements will help to boost outcomes for local children and, in the case of early years provision, will also support working families.”

The projects to receive CIL funding in 2021 include:

£1,178,252 for the Dennington Early Years Project, which will see a new bespoke playschool setting for Dennington and the surrounding area. This project is being delivered by Badingham Playschool.
£615,240 for the Holton Early Years Pre-School project, which will provide new classroom space at Holton St Peter Primary School to create new 30 early years spaces. This project will be delivered by Suffolk County Council.
£1,364,272 for the expansion of Edgar Sewter Primary School in Halesworth, allowing a further 105 pupils to join the school. This will help meet demand for school places from new housing in the catchment area. This project will be delivered by Suffolk County Council.
Also linked to housing growth in Halesworth, Bungay and the wider area, £624,070 will be allocated for the expansion at Bungay High School, creating space for a further 150 students aged between 11 and 16 years old. This project will be delivered by Suffolk County Council.
£794,414 will be allocated to upgrade the Foxhall Household Waste Recycling Centre. This project will be delivered by Suffolk County Council.
Leiston GP Surgery will receive £90,000 to provide additional clinical spaces and a multi-use room for social prescribing, counselling or digital consultation.
£1.6m will be allocated for a new grass pitch and 3G pitch as part of the Halesworth Campus Project, bringing much needed new sports and recreation facilities to Halesworth and surrounding parishes. This bid is dependent on planning permission being obtained for the project.