£737,654 for new homes bonus is welcomed by MP - he suggest upgrading Parks estate play area with some of funding

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has this morning welcomed the news that South Lakeland will gain £737,654 from the New Homes Bonus. Tim has called on the council to use some of that funding to improve facilities for young people on the Kendal Parks estate.

The New Homes Bonus is a grant paid by central government to local councils for increasing the number of homes and their use. Today the allocation for 2015/16 was announced by the government for local authorities throughout England. The New Homes Bonus allocation for South Lakeland will total £737,654. This includes an affordable homes premium of £23,240.

The New Homes Bonus is paid each year for 6 years. It's based on the amount of extra Council Tax revenue raised for new-build homes, conversions and long-term empty homes brought back into use. There is also an extra payment for providing affordable homes. Local councils can decide how to spend the New Homes Bonus. However, the government expects local councils to consult communities about how they will spend the money, especially communities where housing stock has increased.

South Lakeland District Council have decided to use these New Homes Bonus funds to address the needs of local communities by dividing the funds into two areas:

• 40% for Locally Important Projects
• 60% for Housing and Neighbourhood Planning

Tim has said the money must be spent quickly in our area. He pointed to the need to improve facilities on the Kendal Parks estate, specifically he suggested that the play area would be a 'great use' of the funding. Tim also said funds should be put into improving cycling infrastructure in Kendal and throughout South Lakeland. The final suggestion the MP had was to spend funds on supporting and improving community centres/halls in rural villages.

Tim said: "This money is welcome news for our area and I hope that this windfall will be used to improve facilities, especially for younger people in our area. I think one project that that deserves a funding boost is the project to improve the play area on the Parks estate. It is dilapidated and needs a real improvement - this funding can do that. I will be raising this with the council at the first opportunity.

"I also would like to praise South Lakeland District Council for having a sound budget and being able to use funding in this way, as well as freezing council tax, like they have for the last five years."

Councillor Clare Feeney-Johnson, county councillor for Kendal Castle added: "We need to ensure Kendal Parks benefits from this money, the play areas originally put in by the developers are now in much need of replacement and modernisation. Safe walk and cycle ways into the Town centre are essential as is safer parking. This is excellent news for the area."