£8.8m funding boost for improvements to facilities and local services

The money has been collected by Reigate & Banstead Borough through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a charge imposed on new developments since 2016, to contribute to infrastructure and services needed to support them.

The majority of the CIL (80%), known as the ‘strategic element’, must be spent on major infrastructure projects, which are nominated by infrastructure providers and decided by the Council’s Executive.

Among the completed schemes CIL has contributed to are:

• £500,000 towards the expansion of secondary school provision at St Bede’s School in Redhill and Oakwood School in Horley.
• £51,700 towards new facilities 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 footpath and cycleway on the A240 between the Preston regeneration area, The Beacon School and Banstead Town Centre as part of the Preston regeneration, delivered by Surrey County Council.
• £49,000 to restore the footpaths at popular Earlswood Common, to complement the other improvement works carried out by the Borough Council.

Future schemes earmarked for a share of the £7.4 million strategic pot in the Council’s current five-year funding programme (2017–2022), include:

• £307,000 to help fund a new ‘Make Ready Centre’ for ambulances as part of SECAmb’s new regional HQ facility in Banstead.
• £308,000 towards Surrey County Council’s refurbishment plans for Redhill Library.
• £500,000 towards the Environment Agency’s flood alleviation measures for the Redhill and Burstow Stream.
• £370,000 towards improvements to the A23 junction with Three Arch Road and Maple Road, Redhill for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists working with Surrey County Council.
• £370,000 for improving walking and cycling connectivity between Redhill, Reigate, Merstham and Horley.
• £340,000 for new bus shelters in Preston.

Nearly £1.5 million of the money collected is for smaller neighbourhood projects, nominated by residents, local groups and infrastructure providers. This ‘Local Fund’ makes up 15% of CIL receipts with the amounts available to spend in each area dependent on how much development happens there. Projects must reflect community priorities, with local Councillors for the area recommending which projects to support.

So far, 44 projects have received funding and a further 82 bids have funding allocated towards them. Among the projects receiving funding are:

• improvements to Nork Park, with a new outdoor gym, picnic benches, tree planting and pathway resurfacing
• additional parking bays at village shopping parades at Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood and Nork Village
• new planters in Banstead High Street and improvements to Banstead Library Garden by Banstead Village in Bloom
• a new radio transmitter for Susy Radio
• new benches and bins at Redhill Common, Wray Common and the entrance to Tunnel Road, Reigate
• two buggy shelters outside the Merstham Hub
• resurfacing and widening the footpath from Hatch Gardens on to and across Burgh Heath
• funding towards the refurbishment of the Hooley Village Hall's toilet facilities
• replacement planters and benches in the courtyard at Kiln Walk, Whitebushes
• planting of 12 new trees on Waterhouse Lane, Kingswood
• replacement of South Park Sports Association's goals with new FA approved ones.

Cllr Richard Biggs, Executive Member for Planning Policy and Place Delivery, said: “The amount that we have collected in CIL funding over the last five years is almost double that which we anticipated when the scheme began. It has helped to fund a huge array of important projects to provide better services and facilities for the benefit our communities - from major infrastructure schemes such as school, health and transport improvements to small local projects requested by our residents, like enhancements to local parks and green spaces, village shopping parades and valued community facilities. It also helps organisations to leverage important match funding from other sources needed to deliver the schemes which benefit the borough.

“If you have an idea for a specific projects, you can submit your suggestions via the form available on our website.”

Suzanne Moore, GP Partner at Tattenham Health Centre, one of the funded projects, said: “We are sincerely grateful for the contribution that CIL funding has made to our health centre. The new prefabricated building has enabled the practice to increase its patient list from 6,000 to over 7,000 patients and provide more appointment for patients, as well as a training room for our doctors.

“During Covid, it has been invaluable for face to face patient consultations as it provides segregated working areas, helping to keep our workforce and patients safe, as well as providing easy access for our frail and disabled patients.”

In late 2016, applications were invited from infrastructure providers for the Strategic Infrastructure Programme 2017-2022. A review of the programme will take place in the autumn with new bids invited for the 2022-2027 programme, from July 2022.

The Council is also keen to hear the local community’s ideas on improvements for their area. Ideas for the Local Fund can be submitted on the Project Suggestion Form, available on the our website at www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk/CIL, which can be emailed to CIL@reigate-banstead.gov.uk.

The full list of projects included in the Strategic Infrastructure Programme (SIP) 2017-2022 are outlined in the schedule.