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The Committee received a report from the Urban Growth Project Manager.
The report explained that the council ran its latest S106 bidding round
between June and August 2015. Proposals were invited for projects that could help
mitigate the impact of development in Cambridge through funding from generic,
off-site developer contributions. The report set out details of twelve
proposals for local projects in South Area, of which eleven were recommended
for S106 funding. Whilst the other proposal (for the next phase of the Cherry
Hinton community hub) was not yet ready to be considered, the report
recommended ring-fencing some local S106 funding for improved community
facilities in Cherry Hinton.
The report also
highlighted that the S106 funding available for devolved decision-making was
tapering off and running down. Even though South Area had more devolved funds
than any other area, it faced particular pressures caused by significant
variations in availability between wards. Care had been taken to ensure the
each ward could get as much benefit as possible from available S106
contributions.
The Urban Growth Project Manager drew attention to the following
clarifications and updates:
i.
The devolved funding availability figures in Table
1 on agenda page 68 were rounded to the nearest £25,000.
ii.
The report (including recommendation 2.1e) should
make clear that the community facilities grant proposal at
St Paul’s Primary School is for a multi-purpose community space
outside of school hours.
iii.
Queen Edith Medical Practice staff had contacted
the Council to offer strong support for the three applications for S106
developer funds for projects at Nightingale Park.
iv.
There was a typographical error in paragraph 4.28
of the report regarding Nightingale Avenue Recreation Ground. The recommended
figure should be £25,000 as per recommendation 2.1f.
4.28 Officer comments: There are elements
of this proposal that are eligible for S106 funding and which can be taken
forward.
a. This would be for a scheme focussed on: improved access; path improvements,
landscaping and a new pond. It is recommended that £20,000 £25,000 of devolved informal open space
contributions should be allocated for these works.
In response to Members’ questions the Urban Growth Project Manager said
the following:
i.
There was sufficient devolved S106 funding
available for the Area Committee to make the S106 allocations set out in report
recommendations 2.1 – 2.5.
ii.
The proposal for a £127,000 grant for the next
phase of the development of Cherry Hinton community hub at Cherry Hinton
library was not yet ready to be considered. This was because of both the
limited levels of devolved S106 community facilities funding left available
from developments in and around Cherry Hinton (currently £10,000) and
the need for greater clarity about the details of the next phase of the Cherry
Hinton community hub project, its costs, project management, viability and
timescales. Attention was drawn to footnote 13 and paragraphs 4.10 – 4.13 of
the report.
iii.
Recommendation 2.5 referred to ear-marking at least
£10,000 of devolved community facilities S106 contributions to improved
community facilities in Cherry Hinton. This was on the expectation that other
devolved community facilities S106 contributions, which had been agreed but
were still awaited from developments in and around Cherry Hinton, would be
added to the earmarked allocation once received.
iv.
Confirmation that the grant applications for community
facility improvements at Rock Road and Cherry Hinton libraries had been
considered consistently, even though the recommendations were different. The
recommendations in these two cases reflected differences in the levels of grant
requested, the availability of community facilities S106 funding available
in/around Queen Edith’s and Cherry Hinton wards and the clarity of the specific
project proposals.
Following discussion, Members resolved:
i.
(Unanimously) to allocate devolved S106 funding to the following local project proposals, subject
to (as appropriate) project appraisal
and community use agreement:
A.
up to
£200,000 (outdoor sports contributions) to phase 2 of refurbishment of
pavilion at Cherry Hinton Recreation Ground, which is in addition to the
£100,000 already allocated for phase 1;
B. up to £203,000 more (up to £170k outdoor sports and around £33k community facilities) for the new pavilion at Nightingale Avenue Recreation Ground, in addition to the existing £200,000 already earmarked (and now allocated) for the project;
C. a community facilities grant of up to £45,000 to improve community facilities at the Lutheran Church on Shaftesbury Road;
D. a community facilities grant of up to £16,000 to improve the community room facilities at Rock Road library;
E. a community facilities grant of up to £40,000 for a multi-purpose community space at St Paul’s Primary School;
F. £25,000 (informal open space) for a community green space on the former bowling green at Nightingale Avenue Rec Ground;
G. around £25,000 (£15k play areas and £10k informal open space) to improve Reilly Way play area, Cherry Hinton;
H. around £60,000 (£35k play areas and £25k informal open space) to upgrade Nightingale Avenue Rec play area;
I. up to £15,000 (play areas contributions) to provide junior ‘fit kit’ equipment at the Accordia development.
ii.
(Unanimously) to de-allocate an existing, devolved S106
funding (£20,000 of informal open space contributions) for an adult trim trail
at the Accordia development, given that junior ‘fit
kit’ is now proposed for that site.
Councillor Avery
withdrew from discussion and room, and did not vote after speaking as a member
of the public on recommendation 2.3. He returned for recommendations 2.4 and
2.5.
iii.
(By 7 votes to 0) to allocate devolved informal open space S106
contributions to a grant of up to £35,000 for a footbridge across
Hobson’s Brook at the Accordia development, subject to project appraisal, planning approval and agreement to transfer the
asset to the city council.
Councillor Pippas
withdrew from discussion and room, and did not vote after speaking as a member
of the public on recommendation 2.4. He returned for recommendation 2.5.
iv.
(By 7 votes to 0) to contribute £25,000 of
devolved community facilities S106 contributions towards a £150k grant to the
Greek Orthodox Community, to refurbish the Memorial Hall and church hall
on Cherry Hinton Road, subject to project appraisal and community use
agreement.
Councillor Ashton
asked for it to be minuted that the Church Community
Facilities Cherry Hinton Road/Hartington Grove lies in the East Area, and at a time when South
Area 106 funds are unable to meet their own Area requests, it was difficult to
see why SAC should match East funding of £40,000.
If funding was
given the principle will have been set, so he hoped that in future
consideration will also be given to funding from the central pot and
transferred from other Wards to enable Community projects to be funded.
Councillor Ashton
withdrew from discussion and room, and did not vote after speaking as a member
of the public on recommendation 2.5. He returned after the vote on recommendation
2.5.
Councillor
McPherson withdrew from acting as the meeting Chair for recommendation 2.5 and
did not vote. Councillor Meftah took the Chair for
this vote.
v.
(By 6 votes to 0) to earmark at least
£10,000 of devolved community facilities S106 contributions to improved
community facilities in Cherry Hinton, although the proposal for the next phase
of the development of the Cherry Hinton community hub is not yet ready to be
considered.