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Improving local infrastructure – over £16m funding allocated during next five years
24 March 2023
Fifty-one important projects to improve community buildings, transport, education, health, sports facilities and open spaces, flood risk reduction and climate change measures will benefit from developer contribution funding, after the Executive approved the latest Strategic Infrastructure Programme 2023-2027 at its meeting last night (Thursday 23 March).
Framework for investing in strategic projects
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council collects Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money from developers, to help fund infrastructure and services needed to support new developments.
Some of this money is spent on local projects (15%) and at least 80% of the funding raised is used for new or improved strategic infrastructure.
Andrew Benson, Head of Planning, explains: “The Strategic Infrastructure Programme (SIP) is a framework to manage the larger CIL fund allocations from developer contributions. It enables the Council to release money at the right time and provides a clear set of agreed schemes that bring wider benefits for more communities across the borough.
“A five-year programme supports a longer and integrated approach for larger infrastructure projects and schemes. The Council approved bid applications from a wide range of different providers, and CIL funding is only released when each one is at a suitable stage in its planning and delivery.”
Fifty-one improvement schemes planned across the borough
This is Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s second five-year SIP, and 75 application bids were submitted by infrastructure providers, Parish, Town, Borough and County councils for the latest programme. The total amount of strategic CIL funding bids submitted was for £50.89 million, which is significantly more than the £18.2 million potentially available from the Council’s strategic CIL funding over the next five years.
Bids were screened, assessed, prioritised and a shortlist drawn up, leading to 51 CIL strategic projects in the final programme for 2023-2027.
Some of these are for joint schemes, such as £234,000 towards the cost of subway improvements forming part of ‘Delivering Change in Horley Town Centre’, which is a Council initiative supported by Surrey County Council, Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership and Horley Town Council.
Contributions towards other single or joint projects include:
- improvements to A23 junction with Three Arch Road and Maple Road, South Earlswood - £1.66 million
- mobile midwifery hub - £100,000
- flood alleviation and public space improvements in Shelvers Way, Tadworth - £500,000
- expansion of Carrington School, Redhill, to provide 40 additional special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) places for Woodfield Secondary School, Redhill - £330,000
- phase 1 of a Cycle Corridor between Redhill and Reigate - £435,000
- renewable solar energy infrastructure at nine Council buildings - £407,890
- along with improvements to important local community facilities such as Horley Young People and Family Centre, Salfords and Sidlow Village Hall, Horley Community Centre and Horley Town Council Offices.
For more information about the latest Strategic Infrastructure Programme, a full list of projects and reports for the 23 March Executive meeting see https://reigate-banstead.moderngov.co.uk.
To find out more about Community Levy Infrastructure funding, visit our CIL webpages: www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/CIL.
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