CIL Funds:Lack of Action
From a recent Havant Borough Council meeting, HIRA learned that Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) moneys paid to HBC by a local Developer have still not been spent. Moreover unless it is spent, the CIL moneys must be returned to the Developer. This would undermine all confidence in a Government system, effected from April 2010, to fund “a wide range of infrastructure...needed as a result of development. This includes new or safer road schemes, flood defences, schools, hospitals and other health and social care facilities, park improvements, green spaces and leisure centres.” According to the UK Government CIL Overview (published November 2010) it is “fairer, faster...more transparent” with “far greater certainty...enabling...the mitigation of cumulative impacts from development.”
On our own Borough Council’s website, readers can find a list of Havant’s CIL Projects already approved. It would be even more helpful if residents could see exactly how much CIL moneys our Council has been given, or at least what percentage of the Developer’s money has already been allocated as well as the percentage under discussion. Hayling’s Community Centre Hub, Northney Coastal Path and East-West Cycle Route upgrade appear to be the only decisions taken since last year. In November 2017, on enquiring re Goldring’s 2013 CIL moneys outcome, we learned that there was to be a puffin crossing on Elm Grove. What proportion of Developer’s CIL on Hayling has been ploughed back into the Island?
In June 2017 HBC Planning Services informed HIRA that it has “more than £1.75m to spend on infrastructure ...including £200,000 for neighbourhood projects and the bidding process for CIL funds runs between 30 June and 11 August”. Hayling groups and communities need to be asking the Council now how applications can be planned and put forward. Last August a detailed plan for a ferry minibus lost out to other, competing bids so it is vital to make applications well in advance and with adequate preparation.
The Council and its agency Norse, need to dramatically improve their communications to residents, especially when services are cut at short notice. Early March’s cancelled Garden Waste collection should have been quickly and clearly put on the website, Facebook pages and in the NEWS both paper and website editions. HIRA is also concerned to learn that residents’ calls to HBC are fielded by someone in Coventry; the call centre had no idea of even where we called from.
Contact HIRA hello@haylingresidentsassociation.co.uk or drop boxes: Hayling Community Centre, West Town, Mengham Library, Morris Dibben, Mengham, The Terracotta Pot and Gift Shop, Eastoke.
Diary Date: Wednesday April 25th Provisional Hustings URC 7:30 Check our website nearer the time.
