East Sussex County Council Infrastructure Funding Statement 2020
Document summary
Date: December 2020
This document provides details on development contributions; section 106 planning obligations (S106) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
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East Sussex County Council Infrastructure Funding Statement 2020 [5.2 MB] [pdf]
PDF version of this webpage. 33 pages.
1. Introduction
This is East Sussex County Council’s first Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS). There is a new requirement for local authorities to produce an annual IFS which provides details on development contributions; section 106 planning obligations (S106) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), receipts and expenditure. The aim of an IFS is to improve transparency, increase accountability and promote infrastructure delivery.
This IFS provides information which complies with the reporting requirements set out in The Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) (England) (No.2) Regulations 2019, Schedule 2, Paragraph 3. This requires an authority to publish a S106 report for the previous financial year on the amounts which an authority has received, allocated, and spent.
The matters required to be included in the S106 report are listed below and in brackets where they are located in the report.
(a) the total amount of money to be provided under any planning obligations which were entered into during the reported year (Overall S106 figures see Table 1)
(b) the total amount of money under any planning obligations which was received during the reported year (Overall S106 figures see Table 2)
(c) the total amount of money under any planning obligations which was received before the reported year which has not been allocated by the authority (Overall S106 figures see Table 4)
(d) summary details of any non-monetary contributions to be provided under planning obligations which were entered into during the reported year - None
(e) the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) which was allocated but not spent during the reported year for funding infrastructure (Overall S106 figures see Table 4)
(f) the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) which was spent by the authority (including transferring it to another person to spend) (Overall S106 figures see Table 3)
(g) in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item:
- Transport see Table 9, Table 10, and Table 11
- Education see Table 14
- Libraries see Table 16
- Rights of Way see Table 17
- Household Waste Recycling Sites see Table 18
- Environment see Table 19
(h) in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was spent by the authority during the reported year (including transferring it to another person to spend), summary details of:
i) the items of infrastructure on which that money (received under planning obligations) was spent, and the amount spent on each item:
ii) the amount of money (received under planning obligations) spent on repaying money borrowed, including any interest, with details of the items of infrastructure which that money was used to provide (wholly or in part) - None
iii) the amount of money (received under planning obligations) spent in respect of monitoring (including reporting under regulation 121A) in relation to the delivery of planning obligations - None
(i) the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) during any year which was retained at the end of the reported year, and where any of the retained money has been allocated for the purposes of longer term maintenance (“commuted sums”), also identify separately the total amount of commuted sums held. (Overall S106 figures see Table 4 and Transport see Table 12)
2. Context
2.1 Development contributions – S106 and CIL
Development contributions are payments made by developers to help fund the provision of infrastructure which supports developments. There are two main mechanisms which are used to collect contributions; S106 and CIL.
S106 involves the use of legal agreements which secure contributions as part of a planning permission. They are used to make a development proposal acceptable in planning terms and are focused on mitigating the impact of that specific development.
CIL is a standard charge on development which can be levied by charging authorities on new development in their area. It is used to help deliver infrastructure which support development across their area. CIL only applies where a charging authority has an approved charging schedule which sets out its CIL rates. In most cases it replaces contributions which were previously collected through S106.
The County Council is not a charging authority. In East Sussex the charging authorities are the districts, boroughs and the South Downs National Park Authority. Currently all authorities other than Hastings Borough Council have an adopted CIL charging schedule in place.
2.2 S106 process
Most S106 contributions are secured through planning applications which are determined by other authorities. The County Council only deals with planning applications in East Sussex, outside of the South Downs National Park, for waste, minerals and our own development (such as schools or roads).
In some areas (Rother, Eastbourne, Hastings) S106 contributions are paid directly to the County Council by the developer. In Wealden and Lewes contributions are mostly paid to the districts and the national park authority who then hold the contribution on our behalf until we request the transfer of the contribution to a specific project.
For new developments being granted planning permission CIL has mostly replaced S106 contributions sought however there are still contributions from historical S106 agreements which are to be collected once the payment point has been reached and spent. Most contributions have 10 years to be spent after receipt.
2.3 Infrastructure planning and overall funding
Infrastructure which is required to support development is identified through the development of Local Plans and when individual developments are considered through the planning process.
Local Plans, which set the levels and location of future development, are produced by districts, boroughs and the South Downs National Park Authority. During the production of Local Plans, the County Council works with planning authorities to identify infrastructure requirements, these are included in Infrastructure Delivery Plans which authorities produce to outline the essential infrastructure required to support Local Plans. These Plans inform the County Council’s capital strategies and our funding prioritises.
The County Council is also consulted when individual developments apply for planning permission and provides advice on the site-specific infrastructure requirements. These generally relate to transport measures as other service area contributions are now covered under CIL payments in most areas of the County.
Development contributions help to fund infrastructure requirements, but the levels of investment required cannot be funded solely from these contributions. Particularly large-scale transport and education projects require additional external funding. The County Council works extensively to secure further funding from a variety of sources to enable projects to be delivered. The current levels of growth proposed across the county will require additional infrastructure which will require substantial levels of funding beyond what can be funded by the County Council, therefore funding from all available sources will be essential. Development contributions can act to facilitate leverage of additional external funding crucial to meet the County’s infrastructure requirements. Development contributions will therefore play an important part in achieving necessary funding, either through S106 contributions but increasingly through CIL allocations.
In this report the amount of contributions and projects within each district and borough reflects the level of development, completions, infrastructure requirements and delivery within that area. There will be some fluctuation in these levels in future statements as this statement reports only on activity in the financial year 2019/20 and provides a snapshot of the situation at 31 March 2020.
2.4 Capital Strategy and Programme
Development contributions are applied wherever possible to capital strategy and programme priorities. The capital programme supports delivery of the Council’s priority outcomes:
- Driving sustainable economic growth
- Keeping vulnerable people safe
- Helping people help themselves
- Making best use of resources
The Capital Strategy focuses on the delivery of basic need for the Council to continue to deliver our services as efficiently as possible. Basic Need for the purposes of the Capital Strategy is:
- Place, meaning, ensuring future need
- Asset Condition, meaning, maintaining assets to an agreed level
- ICT Strategy, meaning, ensuring that ICT is fit for purpose for delivering modern council services in a digital era and protecting data
Development contributions will be used in the first instance to support basic need projects in the capital programme, however it is recognised that there are some contributions that can only be used on projects outside of these purposes. There will also be contributions where it will be appropriate to be spent through revenue budgets, such as for bus services, and also to be delivered by third parties.
3. Scope and content
3.1 Scope
This IFS is focused on S106 reporting. The County Council is not a CIL charging authority therefore other authorities will be reporting on the amounts of CIL collected across the county and how this has been allocated and spent. This IFS will provide information on the amounts of CIL that have been allocated so far by charging authorities to the County Council.
S106 reporting in line with the CIL regulations and guidance focuses on the S106 contributions which we have received and retain. To provide a comprehensive picture of the amount of contributions available the report also provides an indication of money retained by other authorities on our behalf to be spent on County Council infrastructure.
Further details on amounts retained by other authorities including S106 and CIL can be obtained from their IFSs:
- Eastbourne Borough Council IFS
- Hastings Borough Council IFS
- Lewes District Council IFS
- Rother District Council IFS
- South Downs National Park Authority IFS
- Wealden District Council IFS
This IFS provides data on S106 monies secured to cover the cost of progressing Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs). It does not include information on Travel Plan Audit contributions, monitoring of this area is being improved so that it can be included in next year’s report. The detail of highway works secured through S278 agreements (e.g. new accesses, footways, bus stops, crossing facilities, etc) are also not included but will be considered for inclusion in future reports.
3.2 Content
For the financial year 2019/20 (01/04/2019 –31/03/2020):
- Contributions for County Council infrastructure in new S106 agreements signed, both applications we and other authorities determine. (See Table 1)
- Contributions which have been received either directly from a developer or transferred from another authority. (See Table 2)
- Contributions spent within the year and what infrastructure they have been spent on. (See Table 3, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 13 and Table 15)
For all contributions retained at 31 March 2020
- Total amount retained. (See Table 4)
- Amount which is not allocated to a specific project. (See Table 4)
- Amount which is allocated and the infrastructure projects they are allocated to. (See Table 4, Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, Table 12, Table 14, Table 16, Table 17, Table 18 and Table 19)
The report is divided into three main sections:
- Overall S106 figures: total money in new agreements, received, spent and retained
- Service area S106 information: details of projects money has been spent on or is allocated to and examples of recent projects completed using contributions
- CIL allocations: amounts charging authorities have so far allocated to the County Council
4. Overall S106 figures
4.1 Amount of money in S106 agreements signed in 2019/20
The totals in Table 1 include contributions for County Council infrastructure in S106 agreements signed relating to planning permissions for developments determined by other authorities. It also includes one TRO for £5,000 for a planning permission in Wealden that the County Council determined.
Some of the contributions in the agreements are based on a formula therefore an estimate of the contribution has been made based on the most current information, this is in line with the CIL Regulations (paragraph 5c).
Though the contributions have been secured in agreements, the payment is conditional on developments being implemented therefore there is no guarantee that contributions will be received.
| District or borough | Transport schemes | Passenger transport | TROs | Libraries | Rights of way | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | - | - | £5,000 | - | - | £5,000 |
| Hastings | £457,900 | - | £5,000 | £54,178 | £4,560 | £521,638 |
| Lewes | - | £12,500 | £11,000 | - | - | £23,500 |
| Rother | - | £50,000 | £5,000 | - | - | £55,000 |
| Wealden | - | £231,415 | £15,000 | - | - | £246,415 |
| Total (1) | £457,900 | £293,915 | £41,000 | £54,178 | £4,560 | £851,553 |
4.2 Money received in 2019/20
The total amount of money received by the County Council in 2019/20, including money paid directly from a developer and money transferred from another authority who were holding the contribution on behalf of the County Council is provided in Table 2.
Payments directly from a developer includes one TRO for £5,000 for a planning permission in Wealden that the County Council determined.
| District or borough | Paid directly from a developer | Transferred from another authority | TROs - Paid directly from a developer | TROs - Transferred from another authority | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | £40,441 | - | £5,308 | - | £45,749 |
| Hastings | - | - | £5,000 | - | £5,000 |
| Lewes * | - | £85,622 | £11,000 | £10,093 | £106,715 |
| Rother | £448,666 | - | - | - | £448,666 |
| Wealden | - | £414,522 | £10,000 | - | £424,522 |
| Total (2) | £489,107 | £500,144 | £31,308 | £10,093 | £1,030,652 |
* Money transferred includes £85,622 from Mid-Sussex District Council and £10,093 from South Downs National Park Authority to be spent on projects in Lewes District.
A further approximately £7.3m was approved by Wealden District Council for transfer within 2019/20 to be spent on education provision but was not received until 2020/21.
4.3 Total money spent 2019-20
Table 3 provides the total amount of money spent by the County Council in 2019/20 including transfers to other organisations for them to spend on projects which meet the requirements of the S106 agreement. Table 3 also includes a breakdown by district and borough of where the infrastructure has been spent and also the service area.
Details of the specific projects the funds have been spent on are within the section on individual service areas.
| District or borough | Transport schemes | Passenger transport | TROs | Education | Libraries | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | - | £4,769 | - | - | £69,688 | £74,457 |
| Hastings | £110,809 | £15,194 | - | - | £522 | £126,525 |
| Lewes | £39,723 | - | £17,420 | £357,295 | £5,600 | £420,038 |
| Rother | £4,800 | £59,370 | - | - | - | £64,170 |
| Wealden | £26,805 | £79,433 | £2,000 | £1,462,998 | - | £1,571,236 |
| Total (3) | £182,137 | £158,766 | £19,420 | £1,820,293 | £75,810 | £2,256,426 |
4.4 Total amount of money retained at 31 March 2020
Table 4 shows the total of money retained by the County Council at 31 March 2020, after considering the money received and money spent during 2019/20. It shows the amount of retained money that is allocated to a specific project and the amount that is unallocated.
Table 4 also includes the amount retained for Traffic Regulation Orders (i.e. monies secured to cover the cost to the County Council of progressing the TRO’s) and the amount for long term maintenance (commuted sums) of highway works undertaken by third parties, generally through S278 or S38 agreements. More details on these are included in the transport section.
| Allocations | Main Section 106 contributions | Commuted sums | TROs | Environmental site measures* | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total allocated to a specific project (4) | £7,057,280 | £2,056,809 | £134,808 | £146,961 | £9,395,858 |
| Total unallocated (5) | £345,902 | - | - | - | £345,902 |
| Total retained (6) | £7,403,182 | £2,056,809 | £134,808 | £146,961 | £9,741,760 |
* For applications determined by the County Council.
Details of the specific projects the funds have been allocated to are provided within the individual service area sections.
The contributions which remain available to be allocated towards future projects will need to meet the specified requirements within the S106 agreement relating to each site. Though not allocated yet to a specific project the funds do relate to a particular service area as outlined below.
| Service area | Allocated | Unallocated | Total retained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport schemes | £2,161,144 | £299,094* | £2,460,238 |
| Passenger transport | £1,253,031 | - | £1,253,031 |
| TROs | £134,808 | - | £134,808 |
| Commuted sums | £2,056,809 | - | £2,056,809 |
| Education | £2,763,768 | - | £2,763,768 |
| Libraries | £235,777 | - | £235,777 |
| Rights of way | £493,765 | £21,174 | £514,939 |
| Household waste recycling sites | £149,795 | £17,852 | £167,647 |
| Environment | - | £7,782 | £7,782 |
| Environmental site measures** | £146,961 | - | £146,961 |
| Total | £9,395,858 | £345,902 | £9,741,760 |
*Some contributions may be able to be spent on passenger transport projects
**For applications determined by the County Council
5. Transport
5.1 Introduction
The current East Sussex Local Transport Plan (LTP) Strategy was adopted in May 2011 and looks forward 15 years to 2026. The Strategy is supported by a series of five-year implementation plans which set out the intentions for transport investment for this period of time. The second Implementation Plan covers the period 2016/17 to 2020/21 and sets out the intentions for transport investment for this period of time.
The LTP seeks to invest in infrastructure which delivers sustainable economic growth. This will be achieved by helping to address congestion, improving safety for all road users, and promoting sustainable travel on foot, by bike, and by public transport. How far we are able to deliver the strategy over its life will be influenced by the levels of funding that will be available over the duration of the plan.
Our plans for the development and delivery of transport measures are set out each year in our capital programme of local transport improvements and is reflective of the level of funding we have available in that given year. The programme is approved annually by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment.
Transport measures are funded through various sources including central government funding, Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) funding, County Council capital and revenue expenditure and development contributions. Development contributions are required to supplement and support other major funding streams.
Development contributions are used to fund measures at a variety of levels from small site-specific projects, such as a bus stop upgrade or a pedestrian crossing, to helping to fund major transport measures, such as road junction improvements and town centre schemes. All measures mitigate the impact on the transport network from the increased travel generated by development including cumulative impacts from all development in an area.
5.2 Local transport schemes – highways, walking and cycling
In order to deliver large scale projects, it is often necessary for funding to be combined either from a variety of sources and/or from various developments. Therefore, it can take some time for the required funding to be achieved. This can delay the spending of individual contributions.
The spending of contributions on transport schemes can be further delayed by implementation procedures including the requirement to consult key stakeholders. To ensure schemes are delivered to the correct standards, schemes go through a process of feasibility design, option development and testing, consultation and final design.
Key projects which development contributions have in the past few years helped to fund include major town centre improvements in Hailsham and Uckfield and new cycle routes including Horsey cycleway between Sovereign Harbour and the town centre in Eastbourne.
5.3 Passenger transport
Funding for passenger transport improvements is through County Council capital and revenue expenditure, Government and regional funding for specific projects, and development contributions. Development contributions are being used to improve bus stop facilities, by ensuring they are designed to comply with accessibility requirements, and to help fund the roll out of real time passenger information across the county. Contributions are also used to subsidise bus services in areas where development requires sustainable transport solutions but before services have become viable.
5.4 Transport measures and initiatives delivered by developers
As part of a development, other infrastructure or initiatives can be provided by the developer. Under s278 agreements, the developer can provide off-site highway infrastructure within the direct vicinity of the site including new junctions or changes to existing to provide access to the site, as well as improvements locally to footways, cycle routes, crossings and bus stops.
In addition, Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) contributions can be secured to enable changes to parking restrictions and speed limits within the vicinity of the site to be advertised and implemented. Also as part of larger developments, travel plans are developed by the developer to encourage greater levels of walking, cycling and public transport by residents or employees; contributions are secured to monitor and audit the impact of these travel plans and implement any ancillary measures necessary to ensure the travel plan is being effective.
Data on TROs is provided below. Monitoring on Travel Plan Audit contributions is being improved so that it can be included in next year’s report and full information on S278 agreements is also to be considered for inclusion in future reports.
5.5 Projects money has been spent in 2019/20
Transport Schemes – highways, walking and cycling (7)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | Old Harrow Road junction pedestrian crossing | £110,809 |
| Lewes | Seaford walking and cycling network | £39,723 |
| Rother | School crossing patrol at Northiam | £4,800 |
| Wealden | Crowborough Hill pedestrian crossing improvements | £26,805 |
| Total | Combined projects | £182,137 |
Passenger transport
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | Real Time Passenger Information | £4,769 |
| Hastings | The Ridge bus stop upgrades | £11,051 |
| Hastings | Real Time Passenger Information | £4,143 |
| Rother | New bus and service enhancements in Rye delivered through Rye and District Community Transport | £55,355 |
| Rother | Real Time Passenger Information | £4,015 |
| Wealden | Bus services in Polegate and Westham | £60,098 |
| Wealden | Real Time Passenger Information | £19,335 |
| Total | Combined projects | £158,766 |
Traffic Regulation Orders
| District or borough | Amount |
|---|---|
| Lewes | £17,420 |
| Wealden | £2,000 |
| Total | £19,420 |
5.6 Projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
Transport Schemes – highways, walking and cycling (8)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | Local cycling and walking improvements | £903,140 |
| Hastings | Junction improvements | £7,160 |
| Hastings | Local cycling and walking improvement | £138,384 |
| Lewes | Chailey pedestrian crossing improvements | £147,056 |
| Lewes | A259 measures between Brighton and Newhaven | £13,213 |
| Lewes | Cycling network improvements | £16,507 |
| Lewes | Highway safety measures | £2,859 |
| Lewes | Ditchling Common transport measures | £247,726 |
| Rother | Bexhill walking and cycling network improvements | £210,833 |
| Rother | Rye pedestrian and cycle improvements | £232,715 |
| Rother | School crossing patrol at Northiam | £2,321 |
| Wealden | Uckfield Phase 4 Movement and Access improvements | £54,381 |
| Wealden | A272 footway improvements | £56,834 |
| Wealden | Hailsham junction improvements | £44,664 |
| Wealden | Hailsham movement and access improvements | £58,584 |
| Wealden | Crowborough bus stop and pedestrian crossing improvements | £6,520 |
| Wealden | Wadhurst High Street pedestrian and traffic management scheme | £18,247 |
| Total | Combined projects | £2,161,144 |
Passenger transport
Summary details of the passenger transport projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | Real Time Passenger Information | £11,855 |
| Hastings | The Ridge bus stop improvements | £92,110 |
| Hastings | Real Time Passenger Information | £159,977 |
| Hastings | Bus services in Silverhill area | £171,840 |
| Lewes | Real Time Passenger Information | £12,806 |
| Lewes | School Transport in Wivelsfield | £16,578 |
| Rother | Real Time Passenger Information | £120,511 |
| Rother | Bus services and infrastructure in Bexhill | £539,190 |
| Wealden | Real Time Passenger Information | £109,218 |
| Wealden | Bus services in Polegate and Westham | £1,207 |
| Wealden | A271 bus stop improvements in Herstmonceux | £17,739 |
| Total | Combined projects | £1,253,031 |
Traffic Regulation Orders
Totals in the Table 11 include two orders for £5,000 from planning permissions the County Council determined one in Lewes and one in Wealden.
| District or borough | Amount |
|---|---|
| Eastbourne | £30,308 |
| Hastings | £35,000 |
| Lewes | £26,000 |
| Wealden | £43,500 |
| Total | £134,808 |
Commuted sums
Commuted sums are financial contributions made by third parties to Highway Authorities as compensation for taking on the long-term future maintenance responsibility for newly created highways or highway improvements. They can be retained for many years as they are based on the life of the asset which can be 16, 30, 60 or 120 years. The commuted sums are generally secured through S278 and S38 agreements.
| District or borough | Amount |
|---|---|
| Eastbourne | £108,060 |
| Hastings | £206,894 |
| Lewes | £486,275 |
| Rother | £153,129 |
| Wealden | £1,102,451 |
| Total (9) | £2,056,809 |
5.7 Monies retained by other authorities
In addition to the contributions above Wealden and Lewes District Councils hold significant monies on our behalf for transport projects.
Wealden
Approximately £5m is retained by Wealden District Council. The majority of this in line with the S106 agreements the County Council is intending to be spent on the following projects:
- Hailsham movement and access improvements
- A22 Junction improvements
- Crowborough bus stop and pedestrian crossing improvements
- Polegate High Street pedestrian improvements
- Uckfield Phase 4 Movement and Access improvements
- Wadhurst High Street pedestrian and traffic management scheme
- Bus services between Hailsham and Eastbourne
- Bus services in Polegate and Westham
Lewes
Approximately £1m is retained by Lewes District Council. The majority of this in line with the S106 agreements the County Council is intending to be spent on the following projects:
- A259 measures between Brighton and Newhaven
- Newhaven Ring Road junction improvements
- Lewes cycling network improvements
- Walking and Cycling improvements in Seaford
- School Transport in Wivelsfield and Newick
5.8 Examples of recent spending
Old Harrow Road junction pedestrian crossing, Hastings
Location
Battle Road at Old Harrow Road junction, Hastings
Description
New informal pedestrian crossing across Battle Road at the Old Harrow Road junction.
The B2159 Battle Road is a busy road through Hastings. It connects Hastings and St Leonards seafront with the A2100 to the north of Hastings. In the vicinity of its junction with Old Harrow Road there is a mixture of driveways, on-street parking and bus stops. There are a number of businesses in the area which will attract pedestrians, including a Co-op, a library and a veterinary surgery.
The crossing has provided a safe place to cross this busy road at a location where serious and slight personal injury crashes had been recorded in recent years.
Implementation
The project was substantially completed in March 2020 with minor additions completed June 2020.
Project costs
Total cost: £110,809
S106 contribution: £110,809
Little Common junction improvements, Rother
Location
A259 and Churchill Avenue junction, Little Common, Bexhill
Project description
The project improved the junction of the A259 and Churchill Avenue in Little Common. It provided a safer junction for all users, and in particular improved the crossing for pedestrians.
Implementation
The project was completed in August 2019.
Project costs
Total cost: £53,866
S106 contribution: £20,612
Additional funding sources: County Council contribution
New bus and service enhancements, Rother
Location
Rye
Project description
The purchase of a second-hand vehicle for enhanced bus services provided by Rye & District Community Transport which also provides a dial a ride service.
Also, improvements to the weekday bus service along Cadborough Cliff provided by Rye & District Community Transport.
Implementation
The project was completed in December 2019.
Project costs
Total cost: £55,355
S106 contribution: £55,355
Real time passenger information, Hastings
Location
Sedlescombe Road North
Project description
New real time passenger information signs including totems on Sedlescombe Road North adjacent to the filling station and the post office.
Implementation
First sign competed and operational in December 2019, second sign fully operational December 2020.
Project costs
Total cost: £19,038
S106 contribution: £19,038
6. Education
6.1 Introduction
The County Council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places in the right locations to meet demand. The County Council is responsible for promoting a good supply of strong schools through planning, organising and commissioning places in a way that raises attainment, increases diversity, encourages collaboration between schools and promotes community cohesion. The need for school places fluctuates in response to population changes, new housing developments and government policy and can lead to rising as well as declining pupil numbers. Increases in demand can lead to the establishment of new schools or the expansion of existing schools.
Each year the County Council publishes a School Organisation Plan, the purpose of which is to understand the projected demand for school places in the future and to set out where the County Council thinks it will need to commission additional places or re-organise existing provision. The current School Organisation Plan covers the period 2020 to 2024.
Included within the School Organisation Plan are pupil forecasts for each school planning area in East Sussex. In forecasting demand for school places now and in the future, the County Council takes account of factors such as births, trend data, parental preference, housing growth and existing and planned capacity as well as patterns of inward and outward migration. The County Council works closely with local planning authorities in East Sussex on the production of their Local Plan documents. This planning process identifies the requirement for additional school places and /or land for new schools arising from new housing development.
Capital funding for additional school places is through Central Government (Basic Need) grant, County Council borrowing and developer contributions. Development contributions are required to supplement the basic need funding received from Central Government and County Council borrowing to fund its capital programme.
Development contributions are used to help fund additional education provision; early years provision, primary school and secondary school places in areas where levels of new housing increases demand and additional provision is required.
Development contributions are also used to fund small scale school improvements to support additional pressure from development. In these cases, it is sometimes more appropriate for individual schools to implement projects locally, therefore once a project has been agreed which is in line with the S106 agreement monies are transferred to school to deliver.
There are still some contributions from historical S106 agreements which are yet to be collected however it is expected that in most of the county future development contributions for education provision will be through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Please see the CIL section for more details.
6.2 Projects money has been spent in 2019/20
See details at (10)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | Chailey Secondary School improvements (project funded and delivered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency) | £272,111 |
| Lewes | Wivelsfield Primary School additional places* | £357,295 |
| Wealden | Ashdown Primary School, Crowborough additional temporary places* | £195,028 |
| Wealden | Polegate Primary School additional places and expansion of nursery* | £457,591 |
| Wealden | New primary school and nursery at north Hailsham | £331,472 |
| Wealden | Uplands Community School improvements (project funded and delivered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency) | £55,139 |
| Wealden | Uckfield College improvements (project funded and delivered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency) | £28,683 |
| Wealden | East Hoathly Primary School improvements transferred to East Hoathly Primary School | £122,974 |
| Total | Combined projects | £1,820,293 |
* In order for new education provision to be delivered in a timely manner it is often necessary for the County Council to forward fund projects before all development contributions have been collected. Therefore, in these cases contributions are collected when developments are implemented and used retrospectively to fund education provision.
6.3 Projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
See details at (11)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rother | Future primary and nursery places at northeast Bexhill | £961,323 |
| Wealden | Polegate Primary School expansion of nursery | £35,186 |
| Wealden | Manor Primary School expansion of nursery | £9,859 |
| Wealden | Buxted Primary School additional places | £86,366 |
| Wealden | Uckfield College improvements (project funded and delivered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency) | £241,827 |
| Wealden | Hailsham Community College additional secondary and sixth form places | £1,389,998 |
| Wealden | Special Educational Needs provision in Crowborough | £39,209 |
| Total | Combined projects | £2,763,768 |
6.4 Monies retained by other authorities
Approximately £7.3m was approved by Wealden District Council in 2019/20 to be spent on education provision in the Hailsham but was not received by the County Council until 2020/21. Approximately £3.7m is allocated to the New Primary School and Nursery at North Hailsham and approximately £3.6m to Hailsham Community College additional secondary and sixth form places.
6.5 Example of recent spending
New primary school and nursery at north Hailsham, Wealden
Location
Hailsham
Project description
New two form entry primary school and nursery for 40 full-time equivalent children aged 2 to 4.
Implementation
The project was completed in 18 October 2019.
Project costs
Total cost: £10.3m
S106 contribution: £1.8m (plus £3.7m has been received to be spent on the project in 2020/21)
Additional funding sources: Basic Need Grant, County Council contribution
7. Libraries
7.1 Introduction
The County Council developed and implemented the Libraries Strategic Commissioning Strategy as part of a wider Libraries Transformation Programme (LTP). The LTP was designed to deliver a modern and sustainable Library and Information Service for East Sussex, based on current and future needs for the county. New library services introduced include an enhanced, modern eLibrary, a new children and young people’s offer to support literacy and numeracy, increased outreach work in our most disadvantaged communities, and new Community Library Membership and Teachers Library Membership.
Refurbishment of library buildings are funded by a 10-year Libraries Maintenance and Refurbishment Program, which started in 2018/19. Development contributions provide additional funding which allows for enhancements. This funding has been used to help fund the expansion of children’s libraries, create multiple use suites for adult educational services and install public study spaces where customers can use their own devices, with charging points.
Development contributions will continue to be used in line with S106 agreements on improving and increasing capacity of library provision. This will be achieved both within library buildings and by enabling people to access services remotely through the eLibrary and outreach programmes.
7.2 Projects that s106 money has been spent on (2019/20)
See details at (12)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eastbourne | Eastbourne Library | £69,688 |
| Hastings | Hastings Library* | £522 |
| Lewes | Lewes Library* | £5,600 |
| Total | Combined projects | £75,810 |
* In order to deliver projects in a timely manner it is often necessary for the County Council to forward fund projects before all development contributions have been collected. Therefore, in these cases contributions are collected when developments are implemented and used retrospectively to fund library enhancements.
7.3 Projects that money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
See details at (13)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings | Hastings Library | £8,020 |
| Rother | Bexhill Library improvements | £99,853 |
| Rother | Rye Library | £16,509 |
| Wealden | Hailsham Library services project | £111,395 |
| Total | Combined projects | £235,777 |
7.4 Example of recent spending
Eastbourne Library Project, Eastbourne
Location
Eastbourne Library
Project description
Throughout the Library we made changes so that customers can move around more easily, and so that we can provide a better display of books. We also created more space and privacy for customers using the public computers and more places where customers can plug in and use their own devices.
On the first floor we created a new Learning and Information Suite. The Suite provides a space for our adult educational services as well as public study space where customers can use their own devices, with charging points.
On the ground floor we modernised and expanded the children’s area, creating an inviting space that inspires young readers and families. This enhanced area has new furniture and public computers dedicated to the use of young people.
Implementation
The project was be completed in March 2020.
Project costs
Total cost: £310,628
S106 contribution: £69,689 (plus £73,280 has been transferred to be spent on the project in 2020/21)
Additional funding sources: County Council contribution
8. Rights of Way
8.1 Introduction
Improvements to public rights of way are funded via the County Council’s revenue and capital streams. Development contributions provide additional funding for public rights of way which have increased use generated by new developments in the area. Contributions are generally used to help fund surface improvements. A significant contribution has been secured towards the improvement and management of Ditchling Common.
Development contributions will continue to be used in line with S106 agreements on improving public rights of way in the surrounding areas of the developments where contributions originate.
8.2 Projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
For detail see (14)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | Implementing the Ditchling Common Management Plan | £448,396 |
| Wealden | To maintain part of the Cuckoo Trail | £45,369 |
| Total | Combined projects | £493,765 |
8.3 Examples of recent spending
Surface improvements to Crowborough Footpath 66c, Wealden
Location
Crowborough
Project description
Surface improvements consisting of a new sealed surface of tarmac on a stone sub-base.
The footpath had previously often flooded, the improvements enabled the footpath to be used all of the year.
Implementation
The project was completed in September 2018.
Project costs
Total cost: £12,000
S106 contribution: £ 5,134
Additional funding sources: County Council contribution
Improvements to Bridleway Wivelsfield 18a,b, Lewes
Location
Wivelsfield
Project description
The improvement work involved 230 metres of new stoned surface, 110 metres of which was on a brick rubble sub-base. Two large culverts were constructed to replace aging timber bridges; and additional culverts and ditching work was done in order to improve drainage.
Implementation
The project was completed in August 2018.
Project costs
Total cost: £15,000
S106 contribution: £1,789
Additional funding sources: County Council contribution, Wivelsfield Parish Council
9. Household waste recycling sites
9.1 Introduction
The majority of contributions that have been collected and are retained by the County Council for improvements to household waste recycling sites are from developments within the Hailsham area. These have been allocated to providing additional waste and recycling facilities at Hailsham household waste recycling site which serves Hailsham and the surrounding areas.
9.2 Projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
For details see (15)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wealden | Hailsham household waste recycling site improvements | £149,795 |
10. Environment
10.1 Introduction
Amounts which are allocated in the table below are related to planning applications the County Council has determined and are contributions which will mitigate the local environmental impacts from the developments.
10.2 Projects money retained at 31 March 2020 are allocated to
For details see (16)
| District or borough | Project | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | Air Quality Action Plans | £30,000 |
| Lewes | Local Wildlife Sites enhancements – to be delivered by the Local Nature Partnership | £20,000 |
| Rother | Bexhill to Hastings Link Road Monitoring: Planning, Landscaping, Ecology, Noise and Archaeology | £96,961 |
| Total | Combined projects | £146,961 |
11. Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allocations made to the County Council
11.1 Introduction
CIL charging authorities (districts, boroughs and the South Downs National Park Authority) are responsible for allocating CIL money they collect in their area. Generally, they allocate money through a bidding process. Infrastructure providers, including the County Council, are therefore required to submit bids to charging authorities in order to receive CIL money to fund infrastructure projects.
The County Council’s bid prioritisation process prioritises critical infrastructure required to support development which is also identified within the capital programme. Table 20 shows the County Council projects which have so far been allocated CIL funds by charging authorities.
| Charging authority | Project | Amount allocated |
|---|---|---|
| Lewes | Seahaven Academy Expansion | £1,600,000 |
| Lewes | Newhaven Ring Road | £300,000 |
| Rother | London Road Corridor in Bexhill | £300,000 |
| South Downs National Park Authority | Lewes Town Centre Traffic Management Scheme or A26 Malling Hill, Church Lane Junction Improvements or Regional Cycle Route 90 Improvements | £256,009 |
| Wealden | New roundabout at Ersham Road, South Road and Diplocks Way, Hailsham | £1,500,000 |
| Wealden | Junction improvements on A22 in South Wealden | £2,500,000 |
| Total | Combined projects | £6,456,009 |
In 2019/20 £1.2m of the allocated money for the Seahaven Academy was transferred from Lewes District Council and spent on the project. A further £400,000 was successfully bid for in 2019/20 and was transferred at the start of 2020/21 and will be used to fund the project in the current financial year.
11.2 Examples of recent spending
Expansion of Seahaven Academy, Lewes
Location
Seahaven Academy, Newhaven
Project description
Additional secondary school places to support development in Peacehaven, Telscombe and Newhaven. The project expanded Seahaven Academy by one form entry (150 places) for September 2020.
Implementation
The project was completed in September 2020.
Project costs
Total cost: £4,750,000
S106 contribution: £519,342
CIL contribution: £1,600,000 (plus further bid for £650,000 was submitted in 2020/21)
Additional funding sources: Basic Need Grant, County Council’s capital expenditure
Footnotes
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3a - the total amount of money to be provided under any planning obligations which were entered into during 2019/20
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3b - the total amount of money under any planning obligations which was received during 2019/20
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3f - the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) which was spent by the authority (including transferring it to another person to spend)
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3e - the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) which was allocated but not spent during the reported year for funding infrastructure
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3c - the total amount of money under any planning obligations which was received before the reported year which has not been allocated by the authority
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3i - the total amount of money (received under any planning obligations) during any year which was retained at the end of the reported year and where any of the retained money has been allocated for the purposes of longer term maintenance (“commuted sums”), also identify separately the total amount of commuted sums held
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, para 3h(i) - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was spent by the authority during the reported year (including transferring it to another person to spend), summary details of the items of infrastructure on which that money (received under planning obligations) was spent, and the amount spent on each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3 (i) - …. also identify separately the total amount of commuted sums held
-
CIL Regs. Schedule 2, para 3h(i) - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was spent by the authority during the reported year (including transferring it to another person to spend), summary details of the items of infrastructure on which that money (received under planning obligations) was spent, and the amount spent on each item
-
CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, para 3h(i) - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was spent by the authority during the reported year (including transferring it to another person to spend), summary details of the items of infrastructure on which that money (received under planning obligations) was spent, and the amount spent on each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item
- CIL Regs. Schedule 2, paragraph 3g - in relation to money (received under planning obligations) which was allocated by the authority but not spent during the reported year, summary details of the items of infrastructure on which the money has been allocated, and the amount of money allocated to each item