Crowborough Infrastructure

16 March 2023

Question:

Dear Councillor Newton,

With all the additional housing being built in Crowborough, what plans have you made to increase the infrastructure – doctors surgeries, schools etc…?

Mark Pitman

Answer:

Dear Mr Pitman,

Thank you for your question.

At a recent Cabinet meeting, it was recommended to Full Council to commit funding towards delivery of upgrades to the existing hockey pitch at Beacon Academy. This includes resurfacing the pitch and adding floodlights to ensure that the school, local clubs and the community can use the facility for years to come. We are also working with the school on plans to invest in a new 3G pitch at the site. We are also progressing plans for the expansion of Crowborough Leisure Centre to deliver a new teaching pool to serve the community.

In addition, it should be noted that Wealden is a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charging authority and that means for certain types of development, we place a charge on development in order to raise funds to help fund the infrastructure, facilities and services – such as schools or transport improvements – needed to support new homes and businesses.

The council formally approved its CIL Charging Schedule and supporting policies in 2016, and charging commenced on 1 April 2016. (The Schedule and policies are available on our website here

Since the commencement of charging, all relevant developments receiving planning permission are liable for CIL, including applications registered prior to the adoption of CIL and those granted at appeal.

Planning obligations (known as “s106 agreements”) continue to operate alongside CIL but have been scaled back to site specific matters.

Affordable housing contributions (onsite, offsite or payments in lieu of) will still be required alongside CIL, in accordance with the council’s Affordable Housing policy.

National planning regulations state that any local authority that receives a financial or non-financial contribution from development through CIL or s106 planning obligations must prepare an annual Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) by the 31 December for the previous financial year (this requirement started from 2020).

Our latest IFS covers the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and reports on all developer contribution receipts and expenditure during the financial period, as well as providing information on the infrastructure projects or types of infrastructure which the charging authority intends will be, or may be, wholly or partly funded through CIL. It is on our website here

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) produces its own IFS, which reports on all developer contribution receipts and expenditure by the local authority and includes both highway projects and education provision, amongst other matters. It can be seen on their website here

In respect of future development within the district, you may already be aware that the council is in the process preparing a new Local Plan which will set out how our communities within the district will develop in the future. In order to support the council’s new Local Plan, an Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) will be developed alongside it to provide background evidence as to the key elements of physical and social infrastructure likely to be needed in the district. The IDP will look forwards and it is used as a tool to assess the needs that will arise based on the new homes and other forms of development being delivered across the district for the lifetime of the new Local Plan. The IDP will be prepared with the involvement of relevant stakeholders and is based on information obtained from a range of sources including meetings, feedback received during previous consultations and through direct stakeholder consultation.

I would reiterate my earlier comment that Full Council will be asked to commit funding towards supporting upgrades and improvements to sporting facilities at Beacon Academy.

The plans for future works at Crowborough Leisure Centre to deliver a new teaching pool to serve the community are also progressing.

 

Best wishes

Councillor Ann Newton