Our Council has the funds to spend in communities – so why isn’t it spent?
Central government gives district councils a New Homes Bonus* as an incentive to grant housing planning permissions, payable when the homes are built. Since the start of the scheme in 2011 Mid Suffolk District Council has received just over £9 million. It has spent very little of this and, when combined with recent budget underspends, means the Council has a cash reserve that is expected to rise to £10.47 million by the end of 2017/18.
The Green Group of councillors at Mid Suffolk are urging the Council to create a New Homes Bonus fund, initially £400,000, to which communities that have had housing growth can apply. Housing growth is happening now and communities must be given the funds to improve their infrastructure to deal with this.
Leader of the Green Group, Councillor Andrew Stringer said “each year we put forward proposals on how to improve quality of life for our residents and this is one such proposal. Our communities need our support as they get more and more housing growth.”
Many communities are seeing new housing developments and often need improved infrastructure (foot/cycle paths, roads, schools, health provision) alongside this – yet little or no funding is forthcoming.
Villages are being asked to improve their communities themselves yet are not given the budgets to deal with this.
Across England, different councils have different approaches. In South Lakeland in Cumbria 40% of the New Homes Bonus is used in communities where development occurs and the rest of the fund is used by the council to build their own housing. In Wychavon in Worcestershire, 40% of the fund from years 4 and 5 of funding is provided to local communities. South Northamptonshire allocates 30% for parishes and towns that have seen growth and 10% for parish and voluntary group projects.
District Councillor Rachel Eburne said “it is vital that these funds are used. This is not our money – it belongs to the residents of Mid Suffolk and we should be looking at best practice across the country on how this money can be spent in our communities for best effect.”
Notes:
*New Homes Bonus
New Homes Bonus is payable by Government on an annual basis with an amount paid for every new home built or empty home brought back into use. It was set up to encourage house building by incentivising councils for each planning permission granted. However it was also delivered in conjunction with Government reducing Revenue Support Grants to local government.
For each home, “payments are made on matching the average national council tax band of the unit built or brought back into use”(1) with an extra £350 if the home is affordable are paid each year. Of the sum payable, 80% is paid to Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) and 20% to Suffolk County Council. This scheme started in 2011/12 and currently the bonus is paid every year for five years. Since 2011/12, MSDC has received just over £9 million and is due to receive a further £2.027 million in 2017/18.
If a new house is built today, based on the national average of Band D council tax of £1,530 for 2016/17, Mid Suffolk will receive approximately £6,120 over the next five years – so for 100 homes built, £612,000. For every affordable house built they will receive an additional £1,750 over the next five years.
MSDC has been building up a so-called “Transformation Fund” which currently stands at £9.2 million and this is primarily funded from the New Homes Bonus.
In many other councils, New Homes Bonus is used as a fund to help communities to mitigate the impact of development in their area – that is, if a community has had development in their area (from which the district council has benefitted by receiving New Homes Bonus) they can apply for funds for projects that deal with impact of more housing.
Examples are:
Chichester District Council – £250,000 per annum provided to communities
http://www.chichester.gov.uk/newhomesbonus
Wychavon District Council – 40% of the New Homes Bonus from years 4 and 5 is provided to communities
http://www.wychavon.gov.uk/documents/10586/157693/New%20Homes%20Bonus%20Protocol%20April%202014.pdf
Bromsgrove District Council – communities that have had new housing built can apply for grants
South Lakeland District Council – uses 40% of funds for local use and the rest for housing in general
http://www.southlakeland.gov.uk/your-neighbourhood/grants/new-homes-bonus/
South Northamptonshire allocates 30% for parishes and towns that have seen growth and 10% for parish and voluntary group projects.
http://www.southnorthants.gov.uk/1037.htm#
(1) See Government guidelines, rates and research briefing:
http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN05724
Once again, rail crossings in our area are threatened with closure. Three immediately around Haughley and Wetherden are at risk – two on the Ipswich to Bury line (on the Haughley Green to Haughley footpath and at Mutton Hall) and one on the Norwich line (at the Leggetts footpath just north of Haughley Green). A public consultation will soon be open so please register your views. From 14th June until 5th July you can go online at 
Rachel Eburne 