Agenda item

This report sets out recommendations for the allocation of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding across a selection of projects.

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed that:

(i)            The amended Terms of Reference and accompanying Scoring Criteria were approved.

(ii)           Strategic CIL funding of £5,000,000 was allocated to Surrey County Council Highways  for the A308 Improvements bid

(iii)          Strategic CIL funding of £610,000 was allocated to Spelthorne Borough Council, Neighbourhood Services  for the Installation of outdoor gyms equipment at 10 locations.

(iv)          Strategic CIL funding of £110,000 was allocated to a joint project between Spelthorne Borough Council Neighbourhood Services and Surrey County Council Highways – Replacement of automated restriction bollards on Staines High Street.

(v)           Strategic CIL funding of £2,645.57 was allocated to Surrey County Council Highways for the installation of a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Chertsey Road on condition the amount is recouped from Shepperton’s Local CIL allocation as agreed by Shepperton ward councillors.

The Infrastructure Delivery Coordinator (IDC) for Spelthorne Borough Council (SBC), introduced the report, stating that SBC had been collecting CIL funding since 2015. Bids had now been collected and 5 bids were being put forward to the committee for decision at this meeting. A second amendment was to adjust the total amount for consideration was £5,722,645.57. The committee was also asked to approve the amendments to the terms of reference for the task group.

Key points raised at part of the discussion:

• The committee welcomed this report as it was important to get this funding out into the public domain so the projects can progress.
• It was reflected that some members of the public were not aware of the processes to apply for funding for bids and requested clarification on the processes and how those community groups could apply for funding.
• It was noted that this report set out bids being funded from the Strategic CIL funding stream. With regards to this funding stream, an officer group met with local infrastructure groups in 2019, to discuss bids that could be considered. The only bid from large infrastructure providers came from Surrey County Council. However, the officers were aware of some bids that would be submitted from local healthcare providers which will considered at a future meeting.
• With regards to the local CIL funding, this is not available yet and the governance arrangements were currently being finalised. This is the funding that community groups will be able to bid for.
• Clarification was requested on the 80-20 split of funding between strategic and local CIL funding. Officers had been working on forecasting funds that could be received over the future years. The largest bid from Surrey County Council was spaced out of the next four years and therefore this funding would be allocated against future years as well as the current year. The Strategic and Community funds are separate and not overlapping.
• There was a request for clarification on whether GP surgeries could bid for CIL funding. Officers reported that the initial route for Strategic CIL funding bids from GPs is through the relevant Clinical Commissioning Group and they will look at how this aligns with corporate priorities and whether to apply for CIL funding. With regards to the bids that are known to officers at the current time regarding health centre improvements it was noted that there would be funding available to support those projects if they were appropriate to recommend for approval at the time.
• There was support for the projects relating to the A308 and also the health and wellbeing benefits for outside gyms for the area. It was confirmed that the sites of the outside gyms were identified by looking at existing sites and locating the new facilities in areas where they could be easily reached by local people without the need to drive a long distance.
• It was requested that there was greater transparency to members about how the funding will be replenished and to how this would impact on this year’s funding. It was reported that the Infrastructure Funding Statement will provide a rolling statement of funding, and there was a commitment to find a way of providing members with this information.
• Clarification was requested on how the committee will have monitoring information to provide accountability. Officers reported that they were looking at how they would be reporting this information for monitoring purposes, similar to the committee decision tracker. There was a request that a report should be brought to each Spelthorne JC for monitoring and also through the borough scrutiny committee for accountability including what has been submitted and who has been unsuccessful for recommendation.
• The Leader of Spelthorne Borough Council confirmed that this was the start of the process, and was keen to progress these schemes and have an open and transparent process on how this is being managed and monitored for accountability purposes, and was supportive of the Joint Committee receiving a standing item on the agenda on this topic for clarity.

Naz Islam requested a recorded vote for this item and this was agreed by the committee.

(Voting for the recommendations: Cllr Attewell, Cllr Boughtflower, Cllr Walsh, Cllr R Evans, Cllr T Evans, Cllr Fidler, Cllr Islam, Cllr Griffiths, Cllr McIlroy, Cllr Sinead Mooney, Cllr Rybinski. Cllr Denise Turner-Stewart did not vote on the item as she was not in the meeting for the whole item. Cllr Ian Beardsmore was not present to vote. There were no votes against or in abstention to the recommendations.)

The Joint Committee (Spelthorne) agreed that:

(i)            The amended Terms of Reference and accompanying Scoring Criteria were approved.

(ii)           Strategic CIL funding of £5,000,000 was allocated to Surrey County Council Highways  for the A308 Improvements bid

(iii)          Strategic CIL funding of £610,000 was allocated to Spelthorne Borough Council, Neighbourhood Services  for the Installation of outdoor gyms equipment at 10 locations.

(iv)          Strategic CIL funding of £110,000 was allocated to a joint project between Spelthorne Borough Council Neighbourhood Services and Surrey County Council Highways – Replacement of automated restriction bollards on Staines High Street.

(v)           Strategic CIL funding of £2,645.57 was allocated to Surrey County Council Highways for the installation of a Vehicle Activated Sign (VAS) on Chertsey Road on condition the amount is recouped from Shepperton’s Local CIL allocation as agreed by Shepperton ward councillors.

Reasons:

1.    The decisions give the officers authorisation to proceed with the agreed projects.

2.    Agreeing the Terms of Reference for the task group allows them to meet and monitor the agreed projects as well as evaluating any new projects that may come along.