Published Friday, 14th July 2017

£3.6m has been earmarked for improvements to services and infrastructure across the borough after the Council’s Executive agreed its first five-year funding programme for allocating contributions from developers.

Prioritised projects include transport, education, health, flood alleviation and open space improvements, with a combined recommended contribution of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) totalling £3.6m.

The Council must spend CIL contributions on infrastructure needed to support the development of its area and is responsible for deciding what the majority of the levy it collects (80%), known as the ‘strategic element’, can be spent on.

Five year funding programme 

The first three schemes scheduled for funding include:

  • £51,700 towards improvements at Tattenham Health Centre to enable the GP surgery to extend its patient list and host other health services.
  • £72,000 for creating a shared footway and cycleway on the A240 between the Preston regeneration area, The Beacon School and Banstead Town Centre as part of the Preston regeneration, to be delivered by Surrey County Council.
  • £49,000 for restoration of the footpaths at the popular Earlswood Common to complement the other improvement works recently carried out by the Borough Council.

Later schemes include funding for flood alleviation measures for the Redhill and Burstow Stream; improvements to the A23 junction with Three Arch Road and Maple Road, Redhill; improving walking and cycling connectivity between Redhill, Reigate, Merstham and Horley; expanding secondary school provision in Redhill and Horley and an upgrade to Redhill Library.

Benefiting communities

Cllr Tony Schofield, Executive Member for Finance, said: “It is important that the Council maximises the value that can be secured from the limited CIL funding available. By setting out a five year schedule of priorities, it provides a greater degree of certainty to service providers and we hope it will also help organisations to leverage important match funding from other sources needed to deliver the schemes which will benefit the borough and its communities.”

In late 2016, applications were invited from infrastructure providers for the Strategic Infrastructure Programme. A total of 37 bids were received from seven organisations with a cumulative project value of £99.9m and a combined CIL ‘ask’ of £23.7m. Bids were then assessed and prioritised and a shortlist drawn up for inclusion in the Strategic Infrastructure Programme 2017-2022.

Funding agreements will be entered into with infrastructure providers to ensure that funding is only spent by them on the Council’s prioritised schemes. The Council will only be able to fund projects once sufficient CIL income has been accrued.

The full list of projects recommended for prioritisation in the Strategic Infrastructure Programme 2017-2022 are outlined in the Executive Report.