The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report on the proposed allocation of the 15% of collected Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which should be allocated to the local area in which development took place.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·       Appendix 1: Equality Impact Assessment

·       Appendix 2: Summary of assessment for each nominated project

·       Appendix 3: Project assessment forms for each nominated project

The report noted that allocations of 15% local CIL totalling £2.896m had already been made towards 43 projects and that progress of these would be reported to a future meeting of Policy Committee.  The Council had continued to collect 15% local CIL funds as a result of development taking place; up to 31 March 2021 a total of £3.884m had been collected, with an additional £0.777m collected between 1 April and 31 December 2021.  After taking account of the allocations already made this meant that there was a total of £1.765m available for allocation as at 31 December 2021.  A consultation had been carried out between February and April 2021 on the priorities for use of these funds and the results had been reported to the Committee on 14 June 2021 (Minute 7 refers), with the highest ranked priority in the consultation being play areas and public open spaces.

The report explained that it was proposed that infrastructure projects to receive 15% local CIL funds be selected from a list of nominations that had been made by ward councillors, members of the public and council officers.  There had been 42 projects nominated in total which were set out in summary in Appendix 2 and in further detail in Appendix 3.  Officers had reviewed the projects to provide further information including costing and delivery details wherever possible, and they had also been assessed for compliance with the CIL Regulations and against the five criteria from the CIL Spend Protocol which were: Deliverability, Financial considerations, Accordance with spending priorities outlined in consultation, Relationship with identified strategic priorities and Degree to which projects met infrastructure needs arising from or enabling development.  The completed assessment forms were set out in Appendix 3.

The report recommended that, due to the number of projects that had been nominated, all 15% local CIL funds collected up to the end of December 2021 be allocated, as opposed to the funds collected up to the end of the previous financial year as would normally be the case under the CIL Spend Protocol.  The proposed allocation of funds would total £1.623m.  There were more nominations than could be funded, and the projects that were recommended were set out in the report (see Resolution 1 below).  A number of the projects that were not recommended could be considered in the future for funding from 80% strategic CIL, including those that applied to the whole of Reading or to more than two wards, or that would provide a facility that would serve a wider catchment than the immediate neighbourhood.

The report explained that the proposed allocations would direct more than half of funds towards the three wards where the largest amount of development was taking place (Abbey, Whitley and Katesgrove), whilst still ensuring that other parts of the Borough would also receive funds.  The recommended projects would also provide infrastructure across a range of different priorities to ensure that there were no delivery issues caused by capacity within specific service areas, whilst focusing on the top priority identified during the consultation with almost £1 million to be allocated towards play areas and open spaces.  Information on the steps necessary for delivery of individual projects was set out in Appendix 3: in some cases there was some additional scoping work required, or a need for additional steps such as consultation or a planning application, but for other projects delivery could start almost immediately and the report sough authority for the relevant Assistant Directors to complete necessary procurement processes to deliver the programme of work.

Resolved –

(1)      That the following allocations of 15% local CIL collected up until 31st December 2022 be agreed, with a total allocation of £1.623m:

£0.231m for improvements to Victoria Recreation Ground

£0.020m for new street lights in town centre streets lacking

adequate lighting

£0.200m for Northcourt Avenue speed reduction

£0.200m for Waterloo Meadows playground

£0.100m for Robert Hewett Recreation Ground

£0.050m for traffic calming measures on Shaw Road and Boston

Avenue

£0.003m for Sheeps Lane staggered barriers

£0.020m for Moriston Close playground

£0.200m for 20 is plenty zone on streets around Oxford Road

£0.075m for Palmer Park green gym equipment

£0.015m for Hexham Road Community Centre facelift

£0.033m for Lower Mount green space

£0.013m for improvements to Southcote Linear Park, Brunel Road

£0.008m for new bus shelter for Coronation Square westbound

£0.025m for lighting improvements at Coronation Square

£0.170m for improvements to South Whitley Park

£0.150m for Gateway area pedestrian crossings (Imperial Way and

Basingstoke Road)

£0.110m for Lulworth Road communal area improvements

(2)      That the relevant Assistant Director(s) be authorised to complete necessary procurement processes to deliver the programme of work;

(3)      That the relevant officers be authorised to give spend approval in accordance with the funds approved at (1) above, and that the relevant officers in consultation with the Lead Members for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport and Corporate and Consumer Services and the Assistant Director of Finance be authorised to approve any variation to the allocations above;

(4)      That a report be submitted to a future meeting of Policy Committee in respect of proposed funding arrangements for the schemes identified as being eligible for the 80% Strategic CIL.