Wallingford Town Council could give CIL funds to charities

The town council is due to receive Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding from developers building in the town to help fund infrastructure, facilities, and services.

Local authorities have a duty to spend the money on providing, improving, replacing, operating, or maintaining infrastructure that supports the development of the council or anything else addressing the demands that development places on the area.

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Community groups are urging the council to make the public aware of CIL funding so they or charities could apply for it to help provide services for new residents moving into the area.

Wallingford town hall

Beryl Gulliver, trustee of Wallingford Sports Trust, spoke out at a meeting of the full council on Monday (19).

She said: “Wallingford Sports Trust has always needed support for projects. This has enabled us to provide the expanse of facilities we now have.

“Sport is particularly important for people’s health and wellbeing. Around 3,000 people use the sports park weekly and we still have a waitlist for most of our junior activities and more demand for adult provisions.

“This year we’re going to buy two solar panels to reduce our energy bills. We also need to resurface the weather pitch which will cost over £2,000.

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“We also want a new 3G pitch which will cost £800,000 to help us expand our adult facilities. If we don’t push forward the opportunity will be lost to Wallingford.

“These are projects where we will find different opportunities for funding but CIL will be one of them - there needs to be ways community groups can apply for CIL funding.”

Former mayor Lee Upcraft added: “We have the ability to spend all that money on a wide range of things. I really do implore you to reach out to the community and have this conversation in an open and transparent manner.

“The community should have a say and not just blink and realise it has gone. There’s a large amount that this town council can influence.”

Councillor Nigel Hughes agreed that proper discussions about what CIL funding is spent on should take place adding he “didn’t feel good” when the last sum of CIL was spent on the Bull Croft Park project without thought.

He said: “We should document how we spend it and how we attract people to apply for it before we continue to spend anymore”.

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Councillors agreed to set up a working party to come up with a strategy of how to allocate the funds to be complete within three months.

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This story was written by Gee Harland, she joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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