Issue - meetings

To receive a report on Community Infrastructure Levy Spend Allocation – B1040 Wheatsheaf Road / Somersham Road, St Ives Accident Reduction Scheme.

Executive Councillor: J Neish.

The Cabinet has approved, in principle, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding of up to £500,000 subject to:

·  Final costings, as detailed design work is still underway;

·  Full business plan

·  Confirmation that all of the land required for the project is available; and

·  Confirmation of the match funding by Cambridgeshire County Council and other sources.

The offer is to be time limited (12 months) to enable the above matters to be addressed.

Consideration was given to a report prepared by the Strategic Growth Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) seeking approval to support Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding as co-funding towards signalising the junction of the B1040 Wheatsheaf Road/Somersham Road, St Ives to allow for better management of traffic flow which would significantly reduce the risk of accidents.

The Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning reported that the proposals would benefit a number of wards and that the junction had been identified as the number one hotspot area in the last few years for accidents, with a history of fatalities. It was further reported that the Huntingdonshire Local Plan 2036 recognised St Ives, Somersham and Warboys as locations where growth would occur, with St Ives alone projected to grow by at least 430 dwellings and Somersham and Warboys identified as Key Service Centres. Attention was then drawn to the comments of Cambridgeshire County Council, as outlined in paragraph 2.2 of the report, in its application for CIL funding.

The Chairman then read out the content of a written statement from County and District Councillor Steve Criswell, expressing his support for the scheme and thanking Officers from both authorities for their hard work and collaborative efforts in bringing the proposals forward for consideration.

Having expressed their support for the proposals and in noting that Cambridgeshire County Council would match fund 58.33% of the project’s anticipated costs, together with the views of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth), the Cabinet

RESOLVED

(a)  to approve, in principle, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding of up to £500,000 subject to:

·  Final costings, as detailed design work is still underway;

·  Full business plan

·  Confirmation that all of the land required for the project is available; and

·  Confirmation of the match funding by Cambridgeshire County Council and other sources.

(b)  that (a) above would be time limited to 12 months to enable the above matters to be addressed.

The Panel are to receive a report on the Community Infrastructure Levy Spend Allocation in relation to the B1040 Wheatsheaf Road/Somersham Road, St Ives Accident Reduction Scheme.

By means of a report by the Strategic Growth Manager (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Community Infrastructure Levy Spend Allocation, the B1040 Wheatsheaf Road/Somersham Road St Ives Accident Reduction Scheme was presented to the Panel. In introducing the report, the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning stated that the scheme is required particularly as there have been fatalities at the junction in the past. Members were reminded that the application is for £500,000 of CIL and that Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) will match fund 58.33% of the project’s anticipated cost.

Councillor Chapman praised the scheme and asked if the Parish Councils were contributing any funding, even it was only a fraction of the amount required. In response, it was confirmed that the funding would be provided by HDC and CCC and that none would come from Parish Councils.

The Panel expressed support for the scheme and

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to approve in principle the allocation of up to £500,000 of CIL funding to the scheme, subject to the conditions as outlined in the recommendations.