Wiltshire Council ‘sitting on millions in funding’ say housebuilders
The funding is expected to be used for local infrastructure schemes
Wiltshire Council is sitting on millions of pounds worth of cash intended to fund schools, transport, and affordable housing, according to housebuilders.
The Home Builders Federation represents national construction firms like Redrow, which is building Tascroft Rise in Warminster, Charles Church, who are building 60 houses at Sutton Benger, and Bellway, who are responsible for the Spirewood Grange development near Salisbury.
All developers are asked to make Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments as part of the planning process.
A Freedom of Information request filed to local councils in England and Wales found authorities were sitting on more than £9 billion in unspent contributions – around three times that allocated by government for affordable housing between now and the end of this parliament.
The survey showed Wiltshire Council had the fourth-highest level of unspent CIL contributions in the country. £49 million of unspent CIL contributions are sitting in council coffers, the HBF said.
Neil Jefferson, chief executive of the Home Builders Federation, said: “This money should be funding schools, healthcare, affordable housing and other essential local infrastructure, yet billions sit idle.
“Investment in new housing brings huge economic and social benefits, but far too many of these advantages are going unseen by local communities.”
Responding to the findings, Wiltshire Council said much of the cash has already been allocated.
Cllr Ian Thorn, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “The Home Builders Federation report refers to £49 million of unspent Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), but that figure reflects the total Strategic CIL collected at that time, not the actual unspent balance.
“The Infrastructure Funding Statement for the year ending March 2024, which was the latest available when the report was written, shows the real unspent amount was £44 million.
“Around two-thirds of that has already been allocated to identified infrastructure projects across Wiltshire.
“CIL is ring‑fenced funding, so it can only be used for specific types of infrastructure that support planned growth. Many of these projects are large and can take quite a few years to complete, with design, planning and procurement stages that must be completed before money can be released.
“Sometimes these projects require additional funding from other sources that can take time to secure. That’s why allocated CIL funding isn’t always spent straight away.”
He continued: “We’ve allocated £3.9 million of CIL funding to the A350 Melksham Bypass, although only a small amount had been used by March 2024.
“The project is currently paused while we wait for further guidance from the Department for Transport.
“The additional funding needed for the scheme was always expected to come from anticipated grant payments, not from CIL.”