After the planning approval for the Pan development on Tuesday, the following day I learnt that the IW Council's latest bid for 'kickstart' funding to help progress the actual building works had failed.
This funding would be used to fund infrastructure costs like roads that the previous selected developers, Miller Homes, balked at when it came to the crunch last February. These works were then costed at £11m.
This funding would be used to fund infrastructure costs like roads that the previous selected developers, Miller Homes, balked at when it came to the crunch last February. These works were then costed at £11m.
The Government set up 'kickstart funding' of £1 billion back in the spring Budget to assist stalled housing development schemes like Pan during the economic recession. In Round 1 £360m was allocated to successful bidders. The IW Council had bid for Pan, but failed this round.
The latest Round 2 has allocated £550m to further successful bidders. Again the IW Council has failed.
I'm not sure where this leaves the Council's plans now. They were expressing bravado that they could manage without the funding, but that now needs to be lived up to. The responsible Cabinet member is so far not responding to my query.
Most importantly, questions need to be asked why the Council are failing these bidding rounds ?
1 comment:
One wonders if the IW council is losing its bids because it has a conservative majority and the labour goverment are looking after their own strong holds across the Uk with funding knowing an election is coming up soon?
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