CWAC makes top 5 for unspent S106 healthcare contributions
With £4.5m, Cheshire West and Chester Council has nearly eight times the average of unspent Section 106 money allocated for health and social care.
The data comes from a Home Builders Federation report, which reported that the amount of unspent Section 106 money held by local authorities in England and Wales has reached £9bn. The stats come from a series of Freedom of Information requests, with more than 70% of local authorities responding.
Of the £9bn unspent, approximately £3bn has been held for more than five years.
HBF argued that the money could have been used to build 8,500 affordable homes and fund 112,000 school places.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets was the worst offender, with £261.5m waiting to be spent. Northern councils managed to avoid much of the list, although Newcastle upon Tyne City Council and Sheffield City Council earned seventh and eighth places for holding £9m and £8.9m, respectively, in unspent affordable housing contributions.
In terms of health and social care contributions, the average held unspent by councils is £568,000. Cheshire West and Chester Council, with £4.5m held, was the fourth highest in the country. Milton Keynes topped the list with £16.1m unspent.
When contacted about the report, CWAC officers noted that the local authority holds the money for use by the local Integrated Care Board.
“These include £1.8m for a new GP surgery, £1m for improvements to an existing practice, and further funding for smaller expansions,” the spokesperson said.
“The ICB is working to assess the feasibility and progress of proposals.”
According to the relevant S106 agreement, the GP surgery and existing practice would be in Lache and/or Handbridge.
