Issue - meetings

To note the recent announcement by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and requirement for the preparation and submission of a full business case to inform a final decision on the award of funding.

Tom Marchant (Head of Strategic Planning and Policy) and Andy Moreton (Project Manager - Major Capital Schemes) were in attendance for this item.

1. Mr Whiting (Cabinet Member for Planning, Highways, Transport and Waste) introduced the report which provided an update on the Housing Infrastructure Fund following the announcement in March 2018 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding the success of Kent County Council’s ‘Expression of Interest’. The report also set out the next stage of the process and the anticipated timescale for the submission of a full business case to inform a decision on an award of funding.

2. Mr Marchant informed the Committee that the Government launched the £2.3 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) in July 2017. At the time of its launch the Government sought ‘Expressions of Interest’ and bids from District Authorities, County Councils and Unitary Authorities. Kent County Council submitted two ‘Expressions of Interest’ for forward funding; the first relating to infrastructure necessary to enable and accelerate delivery at ‘Otterpool Park Garden Town’ and the second for ‘Swale Transport Infrastructure’ to enable the delivery of long term planned growth in the Swale Borough. Following the submission of the two schemes, Government announced in the autumn budget that an additional £2.7 billion had been allocated to the Housing Infrastructure Fund, offering a total amount of £5 billion.  In March 2018, Kent County Council received confirmation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that the ‘Expression of Interest’ for the £40 million Swale Transport Infrastructure scheme had been successful, however, the other bid for £281 million Forward Funding relating to ‘Otterpool Park Garden Town’ would not be taken forward. The second stage of the Forward Funding element of the HIF was to enter into a period of ‘co-development’ with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to develop the infrastructure projects ahead of the submission of the final business case which would inform the final funding decision. Mr Marchant anticipated that the deadline for the business case submission would be in the late summer of 2018 with final funding decisions announced in autumn 2018.

3. In response to why the Otterpool Park Garden Town was not successful, Mr Marchant said that feedback from Government was simply that the Housing Infrastructure Fund was oversubscribed, rather than any specific issue with the submission. Kent County Council would continue to work closely with Folkestone and Hythe District Council to review other avenues to secure the infrastructure funding. Homes England had also recently purchased land within Otterpool Park Garden Town and would be another key partner supporting the future ambitions of Folkestone and Hythe Borough Council.

4. RESOLVED that the recent announcement by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and requirement for the preparation and submission of a full business case to inform a final decision on the award of funding, be noted.