Housing Growth Fund - Current Funding
The Housing Growth Fund (HFG) has provided over £43m to support the delivery of growth and infrastructure in Cambridgeshire from 2008 to 2011.
The funding was part of the £1.7bn that Communities and Local Government (CLG) proposed to invest across the Growth Areas, the Thames Gateway, Growth Points and Eco-towns during that funding period.
Cambridgeshire Horizons and partners put together a bid document known as the Programme of Development. This was submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). The award was based on an assessment of this document.
The Programme of Development was submitted in September 2007 and we bid for £129,851,250 on the basis of the projects included within the Programme of Development. The amounts awarded to us by CLG are as follows:
- 08/09 Capital - £14,235,324 and 08/09 Revenue £727,355
- 09/10 Capital - £13,749,178 and 09/10 Revenue £615,106
- 10/11 Capital - £13,772,524 and 10/11 Revenue £637,032
This was the highest financial award for any growth area. However, in December 2009, the Government reduced our 2010/11 Capital allocation by approx £6m.
What is the difference between Capital and Revenue funding?
Capital projects deliver physical infrastructure such as roads, houses or cycle-routes.
Revenue projects are generally studies and projects which support the delivery of capital projects or help develop policy or training to aid the delivery of projects.
Despite the funding reductions Cambridgeshire benefitted from £21.5 million worth of Housing Growth Funding in 2009 to 2011, which will supporting over 20 different schemes.
These projects range from providing a new Country Park in Ely and eco-friendly homes in Huntingdon through to improvements to the Cambridge Station area and regenerating the Wisbech Nene Waterfront area. The funding has helped support the delivery of thousands of much-needed new homes, and associated services and facilities, across the County over the coming years. Read more here.
Allocation of the HGF for 2009/10 and 2010/11
| Project |
2009/10 |
2010/11 |
| St. Neots Strategic Green Infrastructure |
£232,360 |
£99,000 |
| St. Neots Countryside Access |
£66,481 |
£0 |
| Ely Country Park |
£122,000 |
£180,000 |
| Cambridge Green Necklace (6 projects) |
£279,788 |
£816,234 |
| The Fringe Sites Flexible Fund |
£7,000,000 |
£5,500,000 |
| Huntingdon town centre extension & development |
£500,000 |
£2,500,000 |
| Mayfield Road Housing |
£350,000 |
£0 |
| Ely Feasability & Options (Formally East Cambs Housing) |
£75,000 |
£75,000 |
| Wisbech Nene Waterfront |
£399,000 |
£1,319,000 |
| Northstowe Renewable Energy Projects |
£500,000 |
£500,000 |
| RSPB Fen Drayton Lakes |
£73,268 |
£0 |
| Northstowe Countryside Access |
£115,377 |
£0 |
| Cycle Routes Around Northstowe |
£425,000 |
£425,000 |
| Cambridge Gateway (CB1 Bus Interchange) |
£0 |
£1,500,000 |
| The Hive (SmartLife Low Carbon Centre, Cambridge) |
£102,140 |
£1,897,860 |