Meeting documents
Cabinet (DCC)
Thursday 5 February 2009
Meeting: Cabinet (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 05/02/2009 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A8 South and East Durham New Growth Point
 | |
| Report of Ian Thompson, Corporate Director, Regeneration and Economic Development (Cabinet Portfolio Member for Economic Regeneration - Councillor Neil Foster) | |
1 To update Cabinet on the progress of the South and East Durham New Growth Point, to advise on the Government funding awarded (and confirm that the County will inherit accountable body status for the processing of such funds) and to advise on the next steps.
Background
2 Papers have been presented to the County Council’s Cabinet which confirm our status as one of the Government’s Second Round Growth Points.
3 Since then additional information has been supplied to Communities and Local Government (CLG) which has taken the form of:
· A bid for Community Infrastructure Funding (CIF) to facilitate transport infrastructure improvements that can ‘unlock’ key housing developments (see Appendix 3).
· Submission of a Programme of Development (PoD) which sets out the principles and delivery mechanisms for sustainable housing growth and also seeks an allocation of Growth Funds to enable such growth to occur (see Appendix 4). A summary briefing of the PoD is in the Members’ Resource Centre.
5 An announcement on the allocations for the Community Infrastructure Fund is expected in the New Year.
Detail
6 The Growth Fund is un-ringfenced and can be spent according to our assessment of which schemes merit prioritisation. This process is to commence now with a view to ensuring that our key projects can begin to enable housing growth at the start of 2009/10. The Homes and Communities Agency will be taking over administration of the Growth Funding from CLG and will be the main point of contact in future. Their work on Growth Points will interlock with the wider ‘single conversation’ they will be initiating with this authority to enable an authority wide investment plan to be established.
7 Initial ‘start up’ funds were paid to Sedgefield Borough Council. It is proposed that Durham County Council take responsibility for receiving and managing all funds that are received from CLG and the new Homes and Communities Agency in the future. This role of being accountable body is assessed for risks in Appendix 2. 8 Community Infrastructure Funds are project specific and are dependant on a detailed business case being presented to the Department for Transport and CLG in the early part of 2009. We would anticipate to have at least one scheme approved for taking forward to the next stage.
9 Preliminary work between now and April is being progressed through the Growth Point Board and transitional funding has been approved through the Place Programme Board to appoint GVA Grimley to progress key elements of this work including:
· The development of a monitoring framework.
· The establishment of links between the growth point agenda and the emerging Local Development Framework and the associated appraisal of strategic sites.
· The development of appropriate partnership mechanisms and an associated governance structure.
· The appraisal of mechanisms to ensure developer contributions are maximised.
· General programme management resource.
10 The Growth Point will offer the authority to develop plans which can assist in the delivery of sustainable communities. We will dovetail housing growth with economic development; environmental enhancements and social care, health and education improvements. The current Sustainable Communities Inspection is using the Growth Point as a ‘probe’ to understand and inform the authority’s overall approach to sustainable communities delivery.
Recommendations and Reasons
11 That Members note the contents of this report.
Background Papers
Cabinet report 28 August 2008
Communities and Local Government Growth Funding advice letter dated 10 December 2008 to Sedgefield Borough Council
Letter from new Homes and Communities Agency dated 10 December 2008
| Contact: Glyn Hall Tel: 01388 816166 |
Appendix 1: Implications
| Local Government Reorganisation (Does the decision impact upon a future Unitary Council) Yes, the new Unitary Authority will assume responsibility for the NGP. Finance County Durham has been able to receive an element of Government funds for round 2 Growth Points but other public sector finance is highly likely to be needed. Private sector investment is also vital. Staffing Not assessed at this stage. Equality and Diversity Not assessed at this stage. Accommodation Not assessed at this stage. Crime and Disorder Not assessed at this stage. Sustainability Not assessed at this stage. Human Rights Not assessed at this stage. Localities and Rurality Not assessed at this stage. Young People Not assessed at this stage. Consultation Not assessed at this stage. Health Not assessed at this stage. Appendix 2: Risk Assessment for Key Decision | |
| Risk Description | Potential Impact | Treatment (if not already in place, state implementation date) | Risk Owner |
| The recommendation to become the accountable body for funding is not agreed. | The funding for Growth Funds and the Community Infrastructure Funds are not released by CLG putting at risk the development of housing and associated schemes | Housing growth would be progressed without additional resourcing from 1st April. This can only be a short term measure. In the long term the status of S&E Durham’s growth point would be put in doubt. | Glyn Hall, Head of Housing |
APPENDIX 3
List of transport infrastructure schemes subject to Community Infrastructure Fund bid
| Project Name | Local Authority | Total CIF 2 Funding Required (2008 - 2011) | Total Housing Accelerated/ Unlocked |
| Black & Decker | Sedgefield | £520,000 | >400 |
| Merrington Lane | Sedgefield | £530,000 | >1,000 |
| Whitworth Park | Sedgefield | £650,000 | >1,074 |
| Dale Road | Sedgefield | £960,000 | >312 |
| Cobblers Hall/Agnew 5 | Sedgefield | £100,000 | >423 |
| Auckland Park | Wear Valley | £1,620,000 | >600 |
| Coundon | Wear Valley | £920,000 | >690 |
| Peterlee | Easington | £1,100,000 | >910 |
| Seaham | Easington | £ 457,000 | >527 |
| TOTAL CIF FUNDING REQUIRED | £6,857,000 | | |
| TOTAL ADDITIONAL HOUSING ACCELERATED BY CIF PROJECTS Final net additional housing figures will be supplied in the forthcoming Programme of Development (October 2008). | >5,936 | | |
Indicative List of projects that could benefit from Growth Funding
The projects identified relate to sites across the whole of the South & East Durham
Growth Point
Capacity
• Growth Point: Skills Audit & Gap Analysis
• Growth Point: Travel Plan Officer
• Growth Point: Programme Team
• Growth Point Local Authority Officers Team
• Growth Point: Community Skills & Capacity Project
• Growth Point Personnel Recruitment Campaign;
Enabling
• Growth Point: Water Cycle Studies
• Growth Point: Surface Water Management Plan;
• Growth Point: Green Infrastructure Study;
• Growth Point: Green Infrastructure Survey
• Growth Point: Water & Waste Management Study
• Growth Point: Strategic Flood Risk Assessment;
• Growth Point Contaminated Land Study;
• Growth Point Green Infrastructure Assessment;
• Growth Point Media & Communications Strategy.
• Growth Point Transport Model;
• Growth Point: Pedestrian Access Audit
• Growth Point: Collision Analysis and Reduction Strategy
• Growth Point: Transit 15 extension application
• Growth Point: Strategic cycle network improvements
• Growth Point: Place Marketing Campaign;
• Growth Point: Rights of Way Improvement Plan;
• Growth Point: Sustainability Audit
• Growth Point: Enhancing S106 delivery
Preparation & Implementation
• Growth Point: Area Action Plans
• Growth Point: Enhancing Market Confidence
• Growth Point:: Peterlee Early Implementation Study
Summary of Indicative Costs (£)
Capacity 1,082,000
Enabling & Preparation Studies 5,011,500
Implementation & Delivery 2,909,500
Total 9,303,000
Revenue 3,807,000
Capital 5,496,000
Attachments
Durham Growth Point.pdf