New Council protocol for funding bids
The Community Infrastructure Levy is a national planning charge which helps local authorities deliver infrastructure to either mitigate the impacts of – or support - development within their area.
In common with other local authorities, Test Valley Borough Council is responsible for allocating the funds that are generated through development.
At a Cabinet meeting last night ( Wed October 18) a Spending Protocol was agreed which will set out how bids for funds will be assessed and will enable the Council to be clear and transparent in reporting how decisions about the levy funds are made.
The new protocol includes a criteria based assessment to ensure that all bids for CIL funds are considered equally and that projects are targeted to the needs of residents and businesses of Test Valley.
Deputy Leader of the Council and Planning Portfolio Holder, Councillor Nick Adams-King said: “This new approach reflects the Council’s corporate values of accountability, ambition, empowerment, integrity and inclusiveness. We are setting out a clear process whereby bids can come forward and ensure that the CIL funds are directed to projects that are based on evidence of need. It also clearly sets out how each project will be assessed making the process open, fair and transparent.”
Either 15% or 25% will be passed to those Parish Councils who have had development within their Parish since 2016, the proportion being higher where a Parish has a Neighbourhood Development Plan. The remaining funds are held by the Borough Council as ‘custodians’ for the delivery of public infrastructure and it is to these funds the new protocol applies.
£291,044.58 has been received since charging commenced in August 2016. It is expected that around £450,000 will have been received by 1 April 2018.
The Council will invite bids from 1 April 2018 so that in November of 2018 Cabinet are able to endorse recommendations for CIL funding to be released in the 2018/19 financial year.