New Homes Bonus

The Government has introduced a scheme called the New Homes Bonus, which is designed to reward communities where new houses have been built.

The money is paid to Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC), and they in turn have agreed that 20% of the money received should be passed on the town or parish councils where the new housing has been built.

Although the scheme started in 2010/11 the Parish Council has only recently started to receive its share. To date £3,400 has been paid over, with a further £1,700 to come later this year.

At its meeting in June, the Parish Council will be deciding how this money should be used for the benefit of the community. It will also be asking its Borough Councillors if they can match fund any proposal from the funds at their disposal – if they agree, it could mean that over £10,000 can be spent on local projects!

The money received to date only relates to the years 2010/11 and 2011/12. Much more significant will be the New Homes Bonus earned as a result of the Tervyn Lea and Taylor Wimpey developments. The Parish Council has asked CWaC for a forecast of this sum.

It may be that the Parish Council will be in a position to pay for the much-needed public car park!

ED: "That would be great news, watch this space for further updates"