Issue - meetings

Cabinet received a report on the Aylesbury Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund contract signing. The Council had provisionally been awarded £172,323,426 by Homes England to enable the building of nearly 10,000 new homes in Aylesbury through the delivery of specific key infrastructure projects including roads and schools, subject to entering into the contract. The majority of the funding was to provide infrastructure ahead of the Section 106 monies or income receipt.

RESOLVED:

1)      Cabinet AGREED to delegate authority to approve the Housing Infrastructure Fund

(HIF) Aylesbury Garden Town (AGT) contract to the Corporate Director for Planning Growth and Sustainability (PG&S), and the Section 151 officer (jointly), in consultation with the Leader.

2)      Cabinet NOTED the key risks to the Council in agreeing to the contract with Homes England.

3)      Cabinet AGREED to the establishment of a new  HIF Investment Board (a Member led Board to oversee the HIF Programme), including Aylesbury Garden Town HIF, Princes Risborough HIF, Abbey Barn Lane HIF and A355 Beaconsfield Relief Road HIF. Membership will consist of the Leader, the Cabinet  Member for Resources, the Cabinet Member for Transport, the Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration, and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills. Its role will be to monitor progress, recommend changes in funding allocations between projects and consider the re-allocation of the HIF recycling pot.

Cabinet received a report on the Aylesbury Garden Town Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) contract signing. The Council had provisionally been awarded £172,323,426 by Homes England to enable the building of nearly 10,000 new homes in Aylesbury through the delivery of specific key infrastructure projects including roads and schools, subject to entering into the contract. The majority of the funding was to provide infrastructure ahead of the Section 106 monies or income receipt.

The Leader reported that the Council had bid successfully for Government funding for the Housing Infrastructure Fund to provide essential infrastructure to enable the delivery of housing in Aylesbury but would also impact on other areas of the County e.g. Princes Risborough. Homes England were the agency working on behalf of Government and they needed to secure legal release of this money. The report set out the legal conditions which included financial implications and risks. This funding would help fund link roads around Aylesbury plus new schooling, electricity generation and other key infrastructure. A new Board would oversee the Project chaired by the Leader.

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change welcomed the proposal and commented that whilst some residents may not like extra road building it would have a good impact on the environment by alleviating roads in the town centre and also help surrounding villages who had a number of power cuts because of electricity generation.

RESOLVED:

1)      Cabinet AGREED to delegate authority to approve the Housing Infrastructure Fund

(HIF) Aylesbury Garden Town (AGT) contract to the Corporate Director for Planning Growth and Sustainability (PG&S), and the Section 151 officer (jointly), in consultation with the Leader.

2)      Cabinet NOTED the key risks to the Council in agreeing to the contract with Homes England.

3)      Cabinet AGREED to the establishment of a new  HIF Investment Board (a Member led Board to oversee the HIF Programme), including Aylesbury Garden Town HIF, Princes Risborough HIF, Abbey Barn Lane HIF and A355 Beaconsfield Relief Road HIF. Membership will consist of the Leader, the Cabinet  Member for Resources, the Cabinet Member for Transport, the Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration, and the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills. Its role will be to monitor progress, recommend changes in funding allocations between projects and consider the re-allocation of the HIF recycling pot.