SEVERAL community projects will benefit from almost £170,000 worth of funding from the latest round of New Homes Bonus applications.
At the last Bromsgrove District Council Cabinet meeting a number of recommendations were approved by the panel.
Successful bids this year include Hagley Primary School PTA which will receive £28,800 towards an artificial multi-sports court and Wythall Community Association which will be granted £27,500 towards new changing rooms and showers and toilets.
Bromsgrove’s Primrose Hospice will receive £19,710 towards a new van to aid fund-raising and other funding will benefit Barnt Green, Catshill, Charford, Clent and Romsley.
The scheme was started by central government in 2011 to pay local authorities which had new housing in their areas.
The intention was for cash to be spent on community groups and projects in those areas where the extra properties were constructed.
In 2014, after Hagley Residents’ Action Group submitted a 1,429-name petition, Bromsgrove District Council agreed to pass the cash on.
The authority has granted £168,975 to 14 community projects across the district area in 2017, meaning in the last three years local groups and communities have now received £290,000 in funding.
Peter Rowbottom, of Hagley Residents Action Group, said 31 bids were received from community groups and organisations across the district asking for £337,000 which showed how popular the NHB scheme was.
“Though not all bids were successful as certain criteria had to be met, credit should go to the council for agreeing to fund this year alone over a dozen projects which will benefit so many people in areas experiencing new housing developments.
“And with the council due to receive further NHB payments from Central Government in future years as more new housing is built across the Bromsgrove area, hopefully these payments for community improvements will continue year by year.”
Coun Karen May, Deputy Leader of Bromsgrove District Council, said it was fantastic to see such a strong response to the NHB scheme.
“Previously we’ve had to carry over unspent money, but this year the uptake exceeded all expectations.
“The level of engagement from right across the community bodes very well for the future. Now we’re all looking forward to seeing these projects delivered.”
Coun Peter McDonald has criticised the district council for spending £2,000 of the cash on administration, adding every penny of the allocated NHB funding should have gone to the community.
Jane Pickering, the council’s director of finance and resources, said the amount of time the council’s officers had used in processing the applications had been worked out down to the hour and had totalled £2,000.
She added the fact the administration costs were to be included in the NHB budget had previously been given cross-party approval.
