Bradford development levy could boost local projects

Local schools, parks and sports facilities, libraries, active travel and environmental projects could receive a £709,000 funding boost thanks to the Bradford Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy, a fund set up to relieve property development pressures across the district.

A significant proportion of the fund could be assigned to the district’s primary and secondary schools with £312,000 proposed to go to local education. If approved, this would be spent on supporting additional mainstream school places and specialist places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Funds totalling £191,000 could be provided to improve the district’s outdoor play and sport facilities, open spaces and green (planting and landscaping) and blue (drainage and water) infrastructure.

Active travel measures to encourage people to walk and cycle and conservation projecting wild spaces could receive £71,000 each and local libraries could be granted £64,000.

The Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy is collected from new property developments and was adopted in July 2017.

Bradford Council’s Executive will consider the allocation of the Bradford Community Infrastructure Levy monies when it meets on 5 July.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said, “We are pleased to be allocating monies from this year’s Community Infrastructure Levy.

“This funding goes some way to addressing the impacts of new housing development but fall well short of the funding needed to meet the wider infrastructure needs of the district. We’ll make sure every penny counts and investing in some key priorities like education, healthier active lifestyles, environment and climate change and improving green and public spaces.”

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