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S106 Funding – an open letter to Central Beds Council

Writer's picture: Julian VaughanJulian Vaughan

Following my research into how funding received from housing developers is spent in our communities, I posted The secret world of S106 funding blog on my social media. Of course, while social media can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for actually getting in touch with the decision makers directly. As the planning department failed to come back with a response to my queries, I contacted the leader of Central Bedfordshire Council directly. The email is below in full. I will provide an update when I receive a response.

Dear Adam

Following the commencement of the recent development in Langford, 150+ houses (CB/19/00336/OUT) just South of Cambridge Road, bordering the East Coast Mainline, I started doing some investigation into how S106 funding is spent within Central Bedfordshire and the transparency and accountability of that funding. My research does raise a number of issues, that I would be grateful if you could answer. I have approached CBC’s planning department on a number of occasions, but apart from an initial contact and a promise to look into the issue I have not received a response, which is why I am forwarding it to you.

The results of this research are contained in the following blog: http://julianvaughan.blog/2023/10/31/the-secret-world-of-s106-funding/

This research also links to the provision of cycle routes across the Biggleswade, Langford, and Arlesey area, and I am pleased to see that the Council has adopted my suggestions, put to the Council in 2021, for a route that links these three areas into the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan proposals currently out for consultation. You can read these suggestions here: http://julianvaughan.blog/2021/09/02/safe-cycle-routes-for-langford/

My questions are as follows:

1. While the Council does post data on S106 funding per parish ( for reference here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/2 I have included a link to this in the blog) in terms of the following: date received, unallocated, committed, spent. However, the Infrastructure Funding Statements do not provide sufficient detail on how the money was spent and which development that spent money was received from – a link to the Infrastructure Funding Statements here: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/44/planning/458/planning_obligations/8

You will be able to see that when the money comes in it is directly linked to a planning application, but when it is actually spent no such link is shown, just the amount and what the project is. This means that it is difficult if not impossible to trace the money from the start of the process – the signing of the S106 agreement, through to the end of the process – the money being spent on an infrastructure project. Further, I had to spend a considerable amount of time looking at different links and Excel spreadsheets to bring all this information together.

Q: How will the Council substantially improve the transparency and accountability of the S106 funding and spending process – and in a form easily accessible and understandable to the public?

2. From the 2021/2022 Infrastructure Funding Statement (the latest statement online) we can see that there are £45 million (image attached) of unallocated funds from previous years, some of this funding is from a number of years ago and a few of the S106 funding amounts risk being clawed back. This £45 million is a substantial increase from earlier years. Bearing in mind that the Central Bedfordshire area is in desperate need of improved infrastructure this level of unused funding is a concern. Further, this money hanging around over a number of years results in less accountability about where this money eventually ends up. I know you have personally raised concerns in the past about funding being obtained from one village or town and then spent in areas a significant distance from those areas.

Q: What steps are the Council taking to ensure that this money is spent promptly and in the locations where the development took place? Will you also provide the latest unallocated S106 funding amounts?

3. The S106 funding agreement for the development states that £80,000 is to be provided towards a scheme to provide pedestrian and cycle access over the East Coast Mainline (via the humpback bridge at the end of Edworth Road). This money has been received by the Council, but the project was de-linked from the development during discussions at a Development Management Committee Meeting in September 2019. As I set out in the blog, what is happening with this scheme is a bit of a mystery, to me as well as the Parish and Ward Councillors. However, I can see from the recently opened consultation on cycle routes in the area that there is a proposal to link up the cycle routes via improvements to the humpback bridge. This would link a proposed cycle route just to the East of the railway line running all the way up to Biggleswade with a route running through the new development off Cambridge Road in Langford onto Henlow and Arlesey.

Q: Can you advise me of the status of this project, which would bring safety as well as connectivity benefits to the area?

4. From the conversations I have had, local parish councils have little say in how the S106 funding is allocated within their areas. Parish Councils have a significant level of understanding about what their communities need, but this knowledge seems to be being ignored. This goes against what Central Bedfordshire Council set out in the Mythbuster infographic (attached) which talks about the importance of involving the relevant Parish Council at virtually every step of the process, from pre-application to completion.

Q: What steps will Central Bedfordshire Council take to improve this?

With trust in politicians at a low ebb and the lack of infrastructure in the area a hot topic, I hope you will agree that the issues discussed above are an area that needs improvement. Happy to discuss this further either on the phone or in person if it would be helpful.

Due to the interest in and importance of these issues, please regard this as an open letter.

Many thanks

Julian Vaughan

2nd November 2023

*Update – I received an email response from Adam Zerny later that afternoon saying that he will discuss the issues raised in the email with officers and ensure that I get answers. I will update you when I receive a full response.

A ‘myth buster’ infographic produced by Central Bedfordshire Council highlighting the involvement of local town and parish councils in the S106 allocation process.

Unallocated funding received by Central Bedfordshire Council from housing developers via S106 funding. This is an increase from £29 million two years earlier.

 
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