MORE than £1.5 million earmarked for community projects in towns and parishes is sitting unused in East Hampshire District Council coffers. Vast untapped resources are available for such schemes as a new skate park and an astro- turf sports pitch in Petersfield. And even though part of the developers' contributions fund has already been committed to projects across the district, much of the £1,530,182 remains unclaimed. The figures were released as part of a plan to streamline the way funds of this nature are fed into the community. In a report to EHDC councillors, deputy chief executive Daphne Gardner said: "There is a risk of the council not maximising the benefits to the community of developers' contributions. "A key priority area is to use the unspent funds held for each parish area. We have asked all the parishes to clarify their plans to spend these funds. We also propose to hold a workshop and give further training to parishes." Developers' contributions are funds given by developers as part of their planning- permission deals with the district council. In Petersfield alone, more than £390,000 awaits spending. And £114,963 of that has been earmarked for improvements to play equipment at the Heath and town sports fields. Some of that money is available to help pay for a new skate park at Love Lane and an unknown amount has been earmarked for the artificial sports pitch. In other categories, £254,812 has been put aside to ensure the continuation of the circular bus routes 94 and 95, which operate in the town. Vaughan Clarke, the chairman of the finance committee at Petersfield Town Council, said councillors were aware of how much money was available to the town. He explained that substantial on account of the large amount of housing development that had been approved. He told The Herald: "What we have to do is come up with proposals to spend the money. We then apply to EHDC and the council says whether each proposal is suitable. "We cannot just use the money for anything. It helps, for instance, if we propose to use contributions to pay for something near the development that generated them. The criteria are quite strict. But we have not made as much use of the money as we should, in the past. "There is no immediate danger of losing the money, but it does not look good having vast sums of money just sitting there." • In 2005/06, the council received more than £500,000 in developers' contributions, while more than £600,000 was spent on a variety of projects across East Hampshire. In Liss, more than £94,000 is lying in a public open-spaces fund, ready to be spent on extending the Newman Collard Pavilion, making improvements to the West Liss Scout Hut and pavilion, building a skateboard park and a long-term plan for a bowling green. At Froxfield, £23,198 is available for a possible kick-about area. The last time the funds were updated and recorded was on March 31, 2006.
