East Suffolk Council
Key infrastructure projects to benefit from £3.4m funding
Over £3million in contributions from new housing developments has been allocated to support the enhancement of community facilities in East Suffolk.
At a meeting of East Suffolk’s cabinet on Tuesday 5 September, six applications for district Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) were approved.
CIL is a levy 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 successful applications, totalling £3,479,203 are:
- Improvements at Barnards Soccer Centre, Lowestoft (£101,500)
- Extended funding for Foxhall Household Waste and Recycling Centre improvements (£164,500) - in addition to previous funding of £794,414.
- Bungay Medical Practice extension and reconfiguration (£1.283m)
- New 3G pitch at Bungay Town Football Club (£547,803)
- Melton Early Years Provision at Melton Primary School (£1.35m)
- Bungay Library extension (£32,400)
Cllr Kay Yule, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for Planning and Coastal Management said: “Developer contributions help us to support improvements to essential facilities in the district, for the benefit of local communities. There are several major projects, including expansions at local schools and new leisure facilities, which are either currently under construction or have been recently completed which were supported through developer contributions collected and allocated by East Suffolk Council. This latest round of CIL funding will ensure more facilities, including leisure, health and educational provision, will be available to improve the lives of local residents.”
The CIL funding will now be made available to these projects, subject to the provision of all necessary documentation and planning permissions.
An addition to the CIL Spending Strategy was also agreed at Cabinet, to enhance the support and funding opportunities for communities facing major growth through strategic housing sites but where the CIL rates for those sites has been set at £0.
CIL applications below £50,000 may be eligible for Local CIL funding which can be approved by the CIL Spending Working Group. Earlier this year, four applications totalling £147,000 were approved for Local CIL.
The Local CIL fund was launched in April and is based on 3% of the district CIL received in the previous financial year. Funding of up to £50,000 is available to projects located in, or close to, an area where new development is taking place, and the project must be deliverable in the short term. Projects must also be 50% match-funded, be identified in a Neighbourhood Plan or Parish Infrastructure Investment Plan and be supported by the local East Suffolk ward member.
Local CIL requests are approved by the CIL Spending Working Group, ensuring funding can be allocated to community projects more quickly. In June, the CIL Spending Working Group agreed funding for four community play areas:
- Waveney Meadow Project, Beccles (£22,000)
- Blundeston Play Park refurbishment (£25,000)
- Skate Park and Nature Walk, Rendlesham (£50,000)
- Klondyke Skate Park, Southwold (£50,000)