This is an extract from the meeting minutes – RBWM – September 2017
1. DETAILS OF RECOMMENDATION(S)
That Cabinet Regeneration Sub-Committee recommends to Council that:
i) £10m, split over four years, is added to the capital programme
commencing 2020/21 (subject to delivery of the full scheme).
ii) There is an agreement in principle of paying a flood levy of up to
£500,000 per annum to the Environment Agency as a contribution to the
operating and maintenance costs (subject to new legislation being
enacted to make provision for this)
iii) If recommendation (ii) is approved a delegation to the Head of Finance in
conjunction with the Lead Member for Finance to develop and introduce
a flood levy be approved
(External link to RBWM September 2017 meeting documentation)
Extract from the earlier edition of Maidenhead Advertiser
Flood levy could be added to Royal Borough council tax
Grace Witherden – Maidenhead Advertiser
Follow me on Twittergracew@baylismedia.co.uk
12:00PM, Thursday 21 September 2017
Flood levy could be added to Royal Borough council tax
A flood levy could be added to the council tax in the Royal Borough to contribute towards the River Thames Scheme.
A report set to go to council on Tuesday states the introduction of the levy would generate £500,000 a year towards the flood relief project, which would be an increase of £7.39 per household.
The scheme is a major infrastructure project led by the Environment Agency providing flood protection for 15,000 homes, businesses, road, rail and utilities infrastructure between Datchet in Berkshire, and Teddington in south-west London.
It also recommends the council considers a future commitment of £10m capital funding over four years from 2020/2021, which is when the flood levy could be applied.
The borough currently contributes £285,000 a year to the scheme and will do so until 2019/2020, as included in the 2015/2016 budget.
The River Thames Scheme is estimated to cost £476m for the design and construction phase and currently has a funding shortfall of £228m.
The report says: “The Royal Borough is a committed partner to the scheme and is keen to see the project delivered and the benefits realised. In order to assist the scheme and demonstrate tangible support and unlock wider funding support the recommendations in this paper are before Cabinet.
“It is envisaged that successful delivery of the regeneration programme will release future capital receipts which can be reinvested, including this project, to directly benefit residents, business and visitors.”
Three years ago, hundreds of homes and businesses in the borough were affected by flooding, with Cookham and parts of Windsor bearing the brunt of it. The rail link between Windsor and Eton Riverside and Staines was closed, and roads between Old Windsor and Staines at Runnymede were cut off.
The meeting will take place at Maidenhead Town Hall at 7.30pm on Tuesday.
Also set to be discussed at the meeting is the borough’s parking plan, which seeks a budget of up to £13m for temporary and permanent parking provisions across the borough.
A report will also ask council to agree additional funding to the Waterways Project.
The scheme seeks an additional £1.57m for completing the York Stream stage, including a weir which will raise water levels throughout the town centre.
END OF PAGE