Cash from developers to boost Shell Corner improvements
Up to £60,000 is to be spent on improvements to an area of Halesowen from a cash pot funded by developers building in the borough.
Developers behind major schemes such as large housing developments in the borough have to contribute cash to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
Nearly £633,000 has been deposited since Dudley Council adopted the CIL in October 2015. The cash is available for people or organisations to bid for infrastructure schemes which support growth or regeneration in the borough.
A paper set to go before Dudley Council’s ruling cabinet at a meeting later this month recommends that two projects are the latest to have been approved funding through this levy.
It proposes a total of £60,000 to go to Shell Corner Partnership to help fund improvements for the Shell Corner area of Halesowen. The group is striving to improve footfall for local businesses.
A further £8,367.91 is proposed to go to Black Country Radio towards funding a new digital studio at the station, based on The Waterfront.
The cabinet paper also reveals developers are to temporarily be given more time to make CIL payments due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:
The Community Infrastructure Levy is a valuable source of funding for the council.
It’s great to see a good chunk of it is going to be spent on two very worthy schemes.
We recognise that the pandemic has brought a great deal of difficulties for developers, so we hope to also agree at cabinet a revised charging schedule which will for a short period give them longer to make the payments.
The bids will be discussed at the next meeting of Dudley Council’s cabinet on Wednesday September 23.