A TOTAL of £1.3million has been committed to projects across Winchester using contributions from building developers.

Winchester City Council's cabinet signed off on the allocation of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to various applicants and schemes.

After receiving 22 applications for financial support, councillors approved the sum £635,000 to 12 projects all over the district.

This included funding for a Scout and community hall project, footway and crossing schemes and play equipment.

A further £675,000 was pledged to Winchester City Council uses for the South Downs Way and Blackpath access works, Chilcomb Sports Pavilion improvements and Station Approach public realm improvements. However, the latter has been set aside provisionally and will be reviewed in 12 months due to the legal challenge, as reported in the Chronicle.

Discussing the CIL allocations for the community, Cllr Jackie Porter, cabinet member for built environment, said: "There are 12 that are agreed here and they are very specifically from the whole district and they include a number of different reasons for giving approval.

"They were all judged on the availability to the whole community, the benefit to the whole community, the deliverability, including the ability of the applicant to deliver that plan, and whether they fitted the general CIL criteria which cover the regulations.

"This has given an opportunity for an extension of community facilities, to improve walking and cycling, hopefully in the process of improving our carbon footprint, and starts a programme of new facilities for young people – we welcome more of these in the future."

Councillor Porter said those applicants who had not been successful this time would be approach to further explore their projects.

"We aren't just leaving those people that have been refused in limbo after this," she said. "We are going back to them to discuss how they could improve those applications and whether they would choose to re-apply with the knowledge of why their application was refused."

Councillor Porter singled out two of the successful applicants at last week's cabinet meeting.

On the Abbotts Barton and Hyde Scout Group hall plans, she said: "It is one of the few opportunities we have to give funding to uniform groups who do a very useful job in the community and we are specifically inviting all community groups of this type right across the district next time."

While on Littleton and Harestock Parish Council's Parkour sports facility scheme, she added: "We are hoping this will be used by the whole community.

"It is not just specifically for Littleton. It is something that is very specialist and will be used by the whole community, including people living in the Kings Barton area."

The full list of district projects receiving CIL funding are:

  • Abbotts Barton and Hyde Scout Group – Scout and Community Hall
  • Colden Common Parish Church- community facility improvements
  • Colden Common Parish Council – Footway improvements and upgrades
  • Durley Parish Council – Crossing point near school
  • Littleton and Harestock Parish Council- Parkour sports facility
  • Otterbourne Parish Council – Zebra Crossing facility
  • Shedfield Parish Council – Sports pavilion extension and refurbishment
  • Twyford Parish Council – Extension of community car park
  • Twyford parish Council – Footway/Cycleway upgrade
  • Upham Parish Council – Traffic calming and gateway scheme
  • Wickham Parish Council – Play equipment and upgrade to sports ground
  • Havant Borough Council – Completion of missing cycle link