News
£6m fund to
breathe new life into community spaces Southwark Council has approved funding for 29 projects put forward by local people and organisations to support growth in their neighbourhoods, as part of a £6m investment in the borough. The council raised roughly £23m in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) between 2015 and 2020. Last year, up to 25% of this – almost £6m – was made available as local CIL funding to be spent on community projects that can be completed by December 31 2023.
Residents put forward more than 1,000 suggestions on how to use money raised from the levy. Shortlisted projects were split into two groups to be presented for approval by the council’s cabinet according to their ward, with the first 37 community projects approved in December.
The CIL is a levy raised on development schemes (new buildings such as housing, hotels or shops) and the money is used by the council to fund local infrastructure projects. It’s one of the ways in which developments and developers can give back to the community – especially to those who’ve been impacted by the building works.
In total, 66 projects will be allocated money in this latest round of local CIL funding and more could follow as additional money becomes available in the future. Cllr Alice Macdonald, cabinet member for communities and equalities, said: “We are committed to ensuring that development in
the borough works for all. In Southwark, we’ve made sure money raised from the levy is allocated to community infrastructure projects local to the development schemes from which they were generated. “Investment in community facilities and open spaces was a key theme across wards and we’ve approved funding for a number of projects that support this aim. This includes the delivery of a new state-of-the-art youth and community space at Leyton Square, in line with the commitments set out in the social regeneration charter for Old Kent Road.”
ELEPHANT AND CASTLE VIRTUAL
COMMUNITY HUB
The Elephant and Castle Community Hub is online and hosting FREE virtual wellness activities, fitness classes and arts & crafts workshops for local people.
Visit communityhubse1.co.uk and Facebook @whatsonatelephant to find out more and for dial-in details. 14 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY
