Have your say on Community Infrastructure Levy Projects

• Have your say on spending plans.
• 17 projects shortlisted for investment across the Borough, including Fairy Glen, canal towpath and GP infrastructure.
• £1.3 million of funding for the heart of our communities.

A consultation on Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding for projects in the Borough has opened and we want to hear your thoughts on the shortlist of projects in line to benefit from this investment.

Since 2014, the Council has charged a levy on developers for carrying out certain new developments across the Borough. The money we raise can be used to pay for a wide range of community infrastructure that is needed to support the new development.  This can include transport schemes, green spaces and community facilities.

The Council plans to use most of the money collected to help deliver large scale infrastructure projects, such as new leisure centres and green infrastructure.

Alongside these higher cost projects, we allocate up to £200,000 each year to smaller projects, each seeking less than £100,000 of CIL, that can be delivered in the short term.

We have received 22 bids for projects this year, of which 17 have been shortlisted to receive CIL funding.  We want to hear your views on the shortlisted projects which include help to fund play area improvements, green space enhancements, including Fairy Glen and the canal towpath, and building work to increase GP surgery capacity, amongst others proposals.

External match funding of over £1m could be generated by the Council's investment in the shortlisted projects.

Councillor Gareth Dowling, Deputy Leader of the Council and portfolio holder for Planning, said: "CIL money gives us a great opportunity to support our communities with infrastructure projects they feel will bring the most benefit to them."

"We want to hear residents' thoughts about how the shortlisted schemes would improve their lives, so we encourage those people local to the schemes to get involved in this consultation."

"We’ve spent many months working on all of this, I’m delighted it is now progressing to the next stage and projects will soon be signed, sealed and delivered subject to residents' support."

You can view and comment on all of the shortlisted projects on our online consultation portal Your Voice West Lancashire.

The consultation will be open until 27th October. Any information you share with us will be used to help shape our final recommendations for Cabinet on 21st November 2023.