Agenda item

1.    That funding allocations, capital budget and expenditure be approved as follows from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts ring-fenced to support transport and active travel projects:

i)      £36,393 to Hampshire County Council in 2025/26 for the upgrade of the existing pedestrian crossing at Friarsgate in Winchester.

ii)     £282,000 to Hampshire County Council in 2026/27 for the provision of a footway adjacent to Andover Road Micheldever.

2.    That a funding allocation and capital budget of £153,000 in 2026/27 be approved from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts ring-fenced to support council-led strategic projects, for the provision of a perimeter footpath at River Park recreation ground in Winchester. This is subject to subsequent approval of expenditure under Financial Procedure Rule 7.4.

3.    That it be noted that £150,000 of district CIL, which was previously allocated to the delivery of KGV park plan, is no longer required, so has been released back to the fund for future allocation.

4.    That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Economy and Community to approve grant payments (in instalments where appropriate) based on evidence of spend provided by the applicant.

5.    That authority be delegated to the Service Lead Legal to enter into the grant funding agreements in accordance with the council’s funding criteria.

Councillor Porter introduced the report, explaining the background to CIL fund collection and that the fund was divided into three areas - transport and active travel, district and strategic projects and health and community projects.   She also provided a brief summary of the funding allocations proposed in the report.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee queried what he considered to be the urban-focused composition of the CIL allocations panel and believed it should have a broader district-wide representation.  He also suggested a review of the 60/30/10 ratio for fund allocation due to impending local government reorganisation. He sought clarification on a significant difference between the CIL funds collected and those made available for allocation, and asked that CIL interest be paid back to the CIL fund for community benefit rather than the General Fund. He expressed concerns about the "limited assurance" audit on CIL collection and accounting, requesting an action tracker, details of outstanding issues, and a retest of assurance.

Councillor Horrill

Councillor Horrill welcomed the proposal to fund a new pathway at Micheldever Station, noting its critical importance for pedestrian safety in the expanding settlement. She highlighted that the land for the pathway was being donated by an owner under specific conditions and requested confirmation that these detailed conditions would be met to ensure the project's success. She also echoed concerns about the "limited assurance" audit on the CIL collection and accounting, requesting clarification on the pressing issues identified and planned actions for resolution.

Councillor Porter together with the Service Lead – Community responded to the comments made, including confirming that applications for CIL funds were encouraged from across the district.  The Director (Finance) also confirmed that the results of the internal audit together with follow up actions were reported to the Audit and Governance Committee.  Councillor Cutler stated that points raised regarding the allocation of CIL interest would be considered further under report CAB3514 below.

Councillor Porter and the Service Lead also responded to comments from Cabinet Members.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.              That funding allocations, capital budget and expenditure be approved as follows from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts ring-fenced to support transport and active travel projects:

i)                £36,393 to Hampshire County Council in 2025/26 for the upgrade of the existing pedestrian crossing at Friarsgate in Winchester.

ii)              £282,000 to Hampshire County Council in 2026/27 for the provision of a footway adjacent to Andover Road Micheldever.

2.              That a funding allocation and capital budget of £153,000 in 2026/27 be approved from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts ring-fenced to support council-led strategic projects, for the provision of a perimeter footpath at River Park recreation ground in Winchester. This is subject to subsequent approval of expenditure under Financial Procedure Rule 7.4.

3.              That it be noted that £150,000 of district CIL, which was previously allocated to the delivery of KGV park plan, is no longer required, so has been released back to the fund for future allocation.

4.              That authority be delegated to the Corporate Head of Economy and Community to approve grant payments (in instalments where appropriate) based on evidence of spend provided by the applicant.

5.              That authority be delegated to the Service Lead Legal to enter into the grant funding agreements in accordance with the council’s funding criteria.