Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Funding Programme 2023

Holmeswood Play Area Fence Replacement, Rufford and Holmeswood Parish Council – CIL amount requested £3,000. 

The total cost of this project is £7,000. The Parish Council will provide £4,000 towards the cost. This bid is to replace a perimeter safety fence, in poor state of repair, to the Holmeswood play area. Limited Parish funds are available. The works required supports green infrastructure (play area) and the project can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Holmeswood MUGA (Phase 2), Rufford and Holmeswood Parish Council - CIL amount requested £13,000.

This project will provide retractable goal netting, goal posts, basketball court, x2 integrated cricket stumps and thermoplastic court markings. This second phase of the works will complete those works carried out in phase 1 for the provision of the MUGA and perimeter fencing. Limited Parish funds are available therefore CIL funding has been requested to cover the full cost of the project. The project delivers green infrastructure and a community facility (outdoor sports facility) and can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Replacement Bus Shelters in Rufford and Holmeswood, Rufford and Holmeswood Parish Council - CIL amount requested £9,900

This project seeks to replace three existing bus shelters located at The Hesketh Arms, Cousins Lane and Holmeswood Road, two of which have already been removed as they were in a poor state of repair. The Parish Council will provide £1,500 from it's own reserves towards this project. It is the Parish Council's responsibility to maintain bus shelters within its own area. The project is a community facility and can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Rufford Park Play Area, Rufford and Holmeswood Parish Council – CIL amount requested £4,500

CIL funding is requested to fund the full cost of this project. The project involves the replacement of existing play equipment (wooden boat) with similar equipment but better quality and using materials with longevity. The project delivers green infrastructure (play area) and can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Aughton Surgery - To increase capacity to deliver GP and primary care NHS provision, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) – CIL amount requested £50,000

The total cost of this project is £250,000. The ICB propose to provide £200,000 towards the project. The allocation of CIL funding will support this proposal for ICB capital funding. The project involves the redesign, reuse of the existing building and an extension to the existing practice to provide two additional clinical rooms. The project is identified as community infrastructure (health centre) in the Infrastructure Delivery Schedule (IDS) and can be delivered in 1-2 years, expected to commence in 2023/24.

Hall Green Surgery, Skelmersdale – To increase capacity to deliver GP and primary care NHS provision, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) – CIL amount requested £25,000

The total cost of this project is £100,000, £75,000 of which is proposed to be provided by the ICB and Hall Green GP practice. It is envisaged that the allocation of CIL funding will support and ensure these other sources of funding. The surgery has seen an increase in patient numbers in recent years, attributed to new housing development within the area. The project seeks to address this by expanding room availability and providing additional accommodation for clinical services. This project will increase the number of consulting/examination rooms by redesigning existing non-clinical accommodation within the existing facility to create multi-use clinical rooms. The project is identified as community infrastructure (health centre) in the IDS and can be delivered in 1-2 years.

Hants Lane Clinic, Ormskirk – To increase capacity for the provision of GP and primary care services, NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB – CIL amount requested £50,000

The total cost of this project is £100,000, half of which will be funded by NHS Property Services capital. The project involves internal alterations and reconfiguration of the existing facility to create two additional consultation/examination rooms, in order to increase capacity of the facility. These rooms would be made available to GP practices of Ormskirk Primary Care network. All Ormskirk practices have seen growth in patient list sizes driven as a result of additional housing development within the area.  The project is identified as community infrastructure (health centre) in the IDS and can be delivered in 1-2 years.

Fairy Glen Green Infrastructure Improvements, WLBC – CIL amount requested £55,000

This project is to improve access points, upgrade existing footpath network, provide interpretation and information signage and additional seating for visitors to this area of public open space/woodland. These improvements will also assist in the protection of woodland flora. Fairy Glen has seen a marked increase in visitor numbers over the last few years, from both Borough residents and beyond. The project is strategic green infrastructure (amenity open space/semi-natural open space) and can be delivered in 1-2 years.

Environmental site enhancements at Kiln Lane and Tongbarn playing fields, Skelmersdale, WLBC – CIL amount requested £62,700

The areas of open space at Kiln Lane and Tongbarn playing fields are geographically close. Funding has already been secured for the improvements to the Tongbarn area (Phase 1) through the Council's Housing Environmental Improvements Fund (£40,000), however the Kiln Lane area (Phase 2) cannot be funded by this source.     The project seeks to combine these areas in order to deliver a co-ordinated approach to habitat creation, improved path network, seating and development of natural play features. This current bid is to enable improvements in the Kiln Lane area to enhance and add value that to be delivered in Tongbarn area. There has been significant housing development in Skelmerdale in recent years. The project is strategic green infrastructure (amenity open space/semi-natural open space) and can be delivered in 1-2 years.

Halsall-Scarisbrick Canal Towpath Improvements, Canal and River Trust – CIL amount requested £175,095.14

A new bid has been received from the Canal and River Trust to resurface the canal towpath between Summerwood Lane, Halsall and Scarisbrick Marina. This bid also seeks to utilise £15,000 of existing S106 monies received from planning permission 2013/0994/FUL for the development of land at 114 Summerwood Lane, Halsall.     This amount has been identified within this bid as part-match funding. The project is identified as a sustainable transport project and enhances strategic green infrastructure.  

UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Community Grant Scheme Match Funding, WLBC - CIL amount requested £355,000

A bid has been received from the Economic Development and Regeneration team to use CIL as 50% match-funding for eligible projects seeking to access the Council's UKSPF Community Grant Scheme (CGS). It is anticipated that there will be a number of projects that wish to access the CGS that may also be eligible for CIL. The supporting documentation that accompanied the Council's UKSPF bid identified a range of interventions that are aligned to the infrastructure types that CIL is used to fund in the Borough. Whilst this is a 'blind bid' so the detail behind each project is not known, Officers between Planning and the UKSPF team will work closely together to advise on the ability to use of CIL as match-funding on individual projects that come forward once the CGS is open for bids.

Beacon Country Park Play Area Improvements, WLBC - CIL amount requested £346,500

A bid has been received from the Wellbeing and Place team at WLBC to relocate, upgrade and increase the provision of play facilities at Beacon County Park as part of the wider Beacon Park Strategic Improvements Project. It is acknowledged that match-funding might be available from the UKSPF for the wider, more strategic project of improvements at Beacon Country Park. At this stage, the costs and timeframes for delivery are unknown, nor whether there will be a request for CIL funding or the UKSPF money used to deliver this. However, the CIL bid explains that the relocation and enhancement of the play equipment is required notwithstanding the Beacon Park Strategic Improvements Project. Costings are known for this element of the project identified as strategic green infrastructure and can be delivered within the next 1-2 years. The detailed master-planning work for the Beacon Park Strategic Improvements Project is underway and currently subject to a separate public consultation. This wider, more strategic project has been added to the IDS and identified as appropriate strategic green infrastructure and a community facility.

Ormskirk to Burscough Linear Park, WLBC - CIL amount requested £200,200

A bid was made to use CIL funding on this project, however as the project had previously been identified as a project on the Infrastructure Delivery Schedule and was over the value of £100,000, it has been possible to fund this project outside of the CIL Funding Programme.

Whittle Drive Changing Facilities, WLBC - CIL amount requested £40,000

Ormskirk NCIL funding has previously been approved and allocated (£60,000 in 2021). However, the works now required by this revised project, that now proposes the demolition of the existing building and the rebuild of a purpose-built facility, go beyond that already allocated and require additional funding. 

West End Park Improvements, WLBC - CIL amount requested £80,000

This project has previously been subject to public consultation and was shortlisted and approved funding in November 2020. The project was unable to be delivered by the spending deadline (2022/23). This resubmission is an amended bid with an uplift of £22,000. Additional CIL funding would provide significant investment and further enhancement to this area of open space to deliver improvements including footpath resurfacing, seating bays, picnic areas, fencing improvements, tree management and signage. The site is within a close enough distance of the housing development at Grove Farm to justify a need for these improvements. The project is now in a position where it can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Halsall Lane Park Improvements, WLBC - CIL amount requested £16,500

This project has previously been subject to public consultation and was shortlisted and approved funding in November 2020. The project was unable to be delivered by the spending deadline (2022/23). This resubmission is an amended bid with an uplift of £6,500. Halsall Lane Park has been identified within the Council's playground improvement programme as a facility in need of investment. This project requires a relatively small amount of NCIL monies to extend the existing play area to include new swings and access. There has been sufficient development in Ormskirk to justify this need and the project helps improve the health and wellbeing of local residents.  The project is now in a position where it can be delivered in financial year 2023/24.

Green Lane Rugby Pitch Improvements, Ormskirk Rugby Club - CIL amount requested £9,261.97

This is a new project, not previously identified on the IDS. The project is to improve the playing pitch by verti-drain works, overseeding, fertilising and sand spreading for one season. It is identified as green infrastructure, outdoor sports facilities and playing pitches, has been fully costed and can be delivered at the earliest opportunity if CIL funding is secured.

Whittle Drive Pitch Improvements, Ormskirk West End Football Club - CIL amount requested £6,100. 

This is a new project, not previously identified on IDS. The project is to improve the playing pitch by verti-drain works, overseeding, fertilising and sand spreading for one season.  It is identified as green infrastructure, outdoor sports facilities and playing pitches, has been fully costed and can be delivered at the earliest opportunity if CIL funding is secured.

Richmond Park Pitch Improvements, Burscough Richmond FC

Under S106 obligation dated 28th August 2014 relating to the development of land adjacent to 10 Ivy Close, Burscough (Planning Application reference number 2013/0235/OUT), the developer paid an "Off Site Open Space Contribution" to the Council to be used for the enhancement of existing and/or the creation of new areas of public open space within the locality. Ward Members and Burscough Town Council have been consulted and raised no objection to the proposed spend of the remaining £43,507 S106 monies on this project, rather than CIL funding. The correct authorisation and allocation process has been followed to use this alternative funding source.

Abbey Lane Toucan Crossing Upgrade, Lancashire Country Council Highways

It has been identified that Lancashire County Council's bid for the upgrade of current proposals to implement a toucan crossing adjoining the Ormskirk to Burscough Linear Park has previously been allocated s106 funding for similar works.  As such officers have discussed the need for its duplicate CIL funding bid. LCC have since confirmed that it would wish to withdraw this current CIL bid and will utilise the funding already allocated for this project.

Hilldale Junior Play Area, Hilldale Parish Council

It is considered that the bid by Hilldale Parish Council for improvements to the play area at Hilldale Playing Fields, does not meet the CIL criteria as there has been little  development within the parish area in recent years that can be attributed to impact on this infrastructure.  As such, officers will direct this Parish Council towards other sources of funding that may be available.

Transformation of Ormskirk Tennis Club into a community health and well-being centre, Ormskirk Tennis Club

Whilst it is recognised that there are proposals to hire out/make the facility available to community groups/providers, this facility would remain on an advance booking basis and only when availability permits. The primary function of the tennis club will remain as a private members club only, therefore it cannot truly be considered as suitable strategic infrastructure.