Camden’s local Community Infrastructure Levy funds first project
Keats Community Library, Hampstead, has become the first beneficiary of a local funding allocation through Camden Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
CIL is a charge by local authorities to collect funds from new developments. It can be used to fund facilities from ranging from strategic projects such as improvements to roads and schools across the borough to local infrastructure projects.
“25% of CIL collected in Camden will be spent locally, through a ward councillor led system.
“Local councillors have produced priority lists for their respective wards which will now be used to guide the funding of future projects. This new system significantly alters how communities can benefit from developers contributions.
“There is currently £1.1million in total available to be allocated across the whole of Camden for local projects. The amount of CIL collected depends on the level of development which has come forward within a ward in the last year.”
The available amounts by ward can be viewed on the Community Infrastructure Levy spending page on the Camden web site. So far 160 priorities or projects have been identified by ward councillors to be potentially allocated funds over the next few years.
Nominated by Hampstead Town councillors, the first local CIL allocation of £12,850 will be used to replace children’s books and materials, purchase materials for adults such as classics, large print and audio books and replace equipment such as library trolleys, reading chairs and a kitchen dishwasher.
The majority of these funds were collected from the developer of a large private supported housing development on the site of a former nurses’ hostel close to the Royal Free hospital which is under construction.
Steven Bobasch, Trustee of Keats Community Library commented:
"We are now in our fifth year as an independent charity library and inevitably some of the old stock and infrastructure is wearing out.
"With so many schools and families using the library, children's books are heavily used as is the furniture. Funds from the Community Infrastructure Levy will allow us to replace some of our book stock, improve facilities and also improve the range of large print and audio books which are so vital for visually impaired book lovers.
"Our community will be delighted with this use of these funds."
Improvements to the library are scheduled to begin November 2016.
You can read more information about Camden’s Community Infrastructure Levy and how we intend to spend the payments on our website.
For more information about Keats Community Library visit: http://www.keatscommunitylibrary.org.uk/