Lea Life
Special Edition – April 2021
Lea Parish Council (LPC) ask that you please read this special edition of Lea Life newsletter - it explains how and why you will soon be given the chance to have your say in future projects within our village.
A short background
You may remember that back in 2016 every residence in Lea received a questionnaire from West Lindsey District Council (WLDC) marking the start of the process to prepare the Lea Neighbourhood Plan (LNP). This offered a real opportunity for residents to say how they would like our village to develop in the future. It included what residents liked about Lea and what could be improved. The main points of this survey are summarised in the LNP as retaining our rural nature and character by ensuring that the key open spaces, views and community facilities are protected and enhanced over the Plan period which runs until 2036. These are also set out in the Vision Statement and Objectives in the Plan. The LNP passed into law following an overwhelming majority vote for its acceptance in a local referendum in December 2017. The Plan can be viewed via the link on the LPC website at Lea Parish Council (lincolnshire.gov.uk).
Current situation
You may have seen fencing and a ‘coming soon’ sign on land off Willingham Road indicating the site where the housing development of 60 properties will be built. This development will result in TWO sources of funding to be spent in Lea.
The main one is referred to as a s106 Agreement and, following negotiation between the Parish Council, WLDC and the landowner, this Agreement now becomes the responsibility of Rippon Homes as the developer of the site. The funds from this levy are pre-allocated to two projects in Lea Park; the redevelopment of the young children’s play area and improvements to woodland walks and their links. Money becomes available for these prior to the occupation of 20% of the open market houses. This is likely to be some way off.
The second source of funds is from a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This becomes payable to WLDC once building work commences. As a parish with an accepted neighbourhood plan, Lea qualifies for a 25% slice of this money. The purpose of the CIL money is to benefit the community and offset the increasing demand on infrastructure and facilities occurring as a result of development. There is a much broader choice of uses for this fund and this is why your input is so important!
As an initial guide the LNP identified four projects, based both upon the Survey results and additional comments recorded during the consultation events held during the preparation of the LNP. These are:
1. Lea Park - Woodland Management Plan
2. Updating Butler’s Pantry
3. Continued updating of the children’s play area, and
4. Old Village Green - to maintain the open space.
Projects 1 & 3 are catered for in the s106 Agreement.
Future plans
This list was compiled in 2017 and it is important that LPC seeks parishioners’ views on these and other possible projects to which CIL money could be applied. From recent experience others might include improved parking for Lea Park and on-going highway safety issues (speeding and pedestrian crossings). LPC will continue to research these potential projects but we need your views.
This edition of Lea Life offers some scene setting; the next step will be to present further information and include a questionnaire for each household to complete. In the meantime please give some thought to the possible projects outlined here and others that you may think of. Projects need to be of long term benefit to as large a number of residents within our community as possible.
How much can we expect from CIL? As a local council with an adopted Neighbourhood Plan, Lea will receive 25% of the amount paid to WLDC (minus their 5% administration fee). Lea can expect to receive approximately £23,000. There may be opportunities for some matched funding from other sources which are to be explored.
LEA PARISH COUNCIL NEEDS YOUR VIEWS AND OPINIONS.
THIS IS NOT THE COUNCIL’S MONEY, IT IS EXTRA FUNDING TO BE SPENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS OF LEA.