Decision details

The Cabinet CIL Committee:

1.               Approved the draft spending policy statement set out at Appendix A and agreed that the senior officer working group continue to use the statement as the basis on which to invite expressions of interest for funding from Westminster’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for both the Strategic City CIL and the neighbourhood portions.

2.               Approved the expenditure of Westminster’s City CIL Strategic Portion as set out in Section 6 and Section 8 of this report. This includes the allocation of funding for the following projects set out in Appendix B.1 and Appendix F of the report:

(i)               Hanover Square Public Realm (Hard Landscaping) (Appendix B.1, Project 1)

(ii)             Church Street Green Spine Phase 2 (Appendix B.1, Project 3)

(iii)            Queensway (Appendix B.1, Project 4)

(iv)            Strutton Ground (Appendix B.1, Project 6)

(v)             Beachcroft House (Appendix B.1, Project 7)

(vi)            Play Facilities (Appendix B.1, Project 8)

(vii)          Parks landscaping and infrastructure improvements (Appendix B.1, Project 9)

(viii)         Berkeley Square infrastructure improvements (Appendix B.1, Project 10)

(ix)            Hall Park Estate CCTV (Project CMC1, Appendix F)

3.               Approved the expenditure of Section 106 funds held for education purposes as set out in Section 7.2 of this report. This included the allocation of funding for the following projects set out in Appendix D of the report:

(i)           Sir Simon Milton Westminster University Technical College (UTC) & Ebury Place (Appendix D, Project 1)

(ii)         Secondary Schools expansions (Appendix D, Project 2)

(iii)        Additional works at Paddington Green School (Appendix D, Project 3)

(iv)        Hallfield School MUGA (Appendix D, Project 4)

(v)         St Marylebone CE School (Appendix D, Project 5)

4.               Approved the expenditure of Section 106 funds held for health purposes as set out in Section 7.3.4 of this report. This included the allocation of funding for the following project set out in Appendix D of the report:

(i)   CNWL NHS Trust - Individual Placement & Support (IPS) (Appendix D, Project 7)

5.               Subject to resolution 4, agreed in respect of the Healthy Workplace Charter proposal (Appendix D, Project 6) that officers go back to the project sponsors and clarify whether the scheme could be deliverable with a smaller allocation of funding. It was agreed that if it can be delivered, and within a reasonable timeframe,  the Director of Policy Performance and Communications be granted the delegated authority to approve the allocation of a smaller award of funding to this project.

6.               Approved the expenditure of Section 106 funds from the Paddington Social and Community Fund Account as set out in Section 7.4 of the report.  This included the allocation of funding for the following projects set out in Appendix D

(i)        Westminster Employment Service (Appendix D, Project 8)

(ii)       Tollgate Gardens Community Centre (Appendix D, Project 9)

(iii)Westminster Green Team (Appendix D, Project 11)

7.           Subject to resolution 6, agreed with the recommendation at paragraph 7.4.14 of the report that £200,000 of the Paddington Social and Community Fund remain unallocated for further design and development of the following projects:

(i)       Paddington War Memorial (Appendix F, Project CSB6)

(ii)      Queensway Noticeboard (Appendix F, Project CSB7)

  And that the balance of £282,928  be provisionally awarded to the Paddington Green Academy – Early years’ project (Appendix D, Project 11) subject to the necessary consents being acquired to bring the proposal forward. 

8.           Approved the future expenditure of Westminster’s City CIL Strategic Portion to contribute to the funding of the Paddington Green Academy – early years’ project (Appendix D, Project 11) and authorised the Cabinet Member of Planning and Public Realm to approve the expenditure from this source of up to a value of £800,000 when sufficient funds have been accrued and the necessary consents acquired. 

9.           Noted the projects set out in Appendix F of the report that have been brought forward by Westminster Councillors and agree the proposed recommended next steps which included developing them to a stage where funding could be allocated. In doing so the Committee agreed in principle that  future CIL funding could be provided for the following projects providing  that all other eligibility criteria are met:

(i)       Paddington Health Centre (Appendix F, Project CBG1)

(ii)      Fleming Court Designing out crime (Appendix F, Project CMC2)

(iii)    Hall Park Estate Multi-Use Games Area (Appendix F, Project CMC5)

(iv)    Cycle Hire to the rear of Westbourne Park tube (Appendix F, Project CAH1)

10.        Noted the projects set out in Appendix G of the report that are likely to be brought forward to a future meeting of the Cabinet CIL Committee for the consideration of funding. Based on these it was agreed that no amendments were required to the council’s Regulation 123 list set out at Appendix H of the report.

11.        Noted that  officers will now carry out an engagement strategy with neighbourhood areas in respect of the neighbourhood CIL monies that are being ring-fenced for spend in accordance with the spending policy agreed in resolution 1 and that a further update on this will be provided to a future meeting of the Cabinet CIL Committee.

12.        Supported in principle the prioritisation of future CIL funding for Hanover Square Gardens, given that it is integral to the wider Hanover Square public realm scheme for which the hard landscaping has been agreed (2(i) above). As this scheme is for delivery in 2019 – 2020, approval of funding for the scheme is reserved to a future Cabinet CIL committee when further CIL monies have been received.

13.        Supported in principle the Councillor priority proposals for Elgin Road/Randolph Avenue junction improvements and a cycle hire docking station in Maida Vale set out in a late representation from Councillor Prendergast. The senior officer group is requested to take these forward to relevant service areas for consideration and development and for them to be brought forward where funding is available.

Clear and transparent CIL and Section 106 governance mechanisms are required to ensure robust and effective expenditure and reporting in line with the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended) and in accordance with the Council’s strategic priorities and framework for resource allocation and management.