Meeting Minutes:

Apologies were received noted, and accepted from Cllrs. Cummings, Parker and Stockdale.

None.

None.

Resolved: that the minutes of the CIL Board meeting held on 25 November 2024, be duly signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record of the meeting (76/1-3).

Members noted the current CIL position (up to 31 January):

• Total receipts received: £87,225.09 (from Skeynes Road; Wheatsheaf; King & Queen; Apex House)
• Total interest: £6389.51
• Total CIL awards paid out: £79,805.59

Balance of funds £177,862.56 of which £44,523.12 was allocated to other awards approved; unallocated CIL funds £125,379.44. (This included funds released at the last meeting and bids awarded.) Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) CIL portal showed £223,495.91 outstanding to receive in April (October-March 2025 receipts): £49.81 land off Farmstead drive; £45,663.75 4 Ridge Way; £177,782.35 Jewsons.

Members noted the following:

Awards waiting to claim update:

Edenbridge Town Council: Promotional Infrastructure for Visit Edenbridge – balance £9890 - remaining of the project was the walks app/GPS and reproducing the walks leaflets. Progress update: The 10 walk maps data and walks information was with the designer and hoped to go to print reasonably soon. It was not expected to use the full allocated funding. 

Edenbridge Town Council: Contribution towards Electric Car Charging Points (EVCs via KSTS for Edenbridge – £7,500. EVCs installed MYCP x 4. Awaiting invoice.

Edenbridge Town Council: Main Road 40mph buffer zone, addition of white gate contribution £2858.12. Work expected to be carried out in March.

Edenbridge Rugby Club – Pavilion Refurbishment - £8,275. Details of the refurbishment schedule and works yet to be finalised to the council, and claim by the club to be made.

Hever PTA: Outdoor classroom £10,000. Awarded November 2025.

St Paulinus Centre: Kitchen floor replacement £6,000. Awarded 2025.

Recent claims: WI Hall:  Floor repairs £7960. Paid January 2025.

Representations were received from the bidders for each bid. Members discussed each application in the order as listed on the agenda before voting on each.

Members noted the New Edenbridge and District residents Association (NEDRA) had submitted two applications for projects, however they had not passed the validation stage as NEDA does not have the legal right for the projects:

1. Additional waste bins and dog fouling campaign
2. Pelican or Zebra crossing outside Manor Care Home

Members noted the opens spaces committee considered waste bins, and had considered sites not on council land previously, but it was not so simple to obtain agreements for none council locations, and there was the costs of frequent collections. Dog fouling initiatives were also with the committee. There would be further initiatives for the spring Great British Clean-up. A pedestrian crossing on Mont St Aignan Way near the care home had been raised several times during and after the development with Kent Highways, who had advised it was not viable as would not meet the necessary regulations/requirements. Members asked for this to be raised with the Highways Improvement Plan (HIP).

The Plot Officer for the Edenbridge Allotments and Gardens Association (EAGA) gave a presentation on the dangerous garage door to the storage area. The garage was built and funded around 1975 by a group of volunteers, and was used to store compost, mower, garden furniture and items for the allotment shop. The photographs presented showed the door to be held by rotting timbers and broken concrete, with the springs to the door not functioning and general not safe to operate. The allotments were managed by the EAGA on behalf of the Town Council, and currently had over 90 plot holders; members have to be Edenbridge residents. There is a mess area and shop, and area for people to sit. 

Members supported the bid to fund new double doors with associated brickwork repairs: 

• The Forge Croft allotments are a well-used community facility; and with increased development, increases the use and demand on the facility
• The infrastructure improvement meets the development needs to provide a better community facility and use of open spaces in Edenbridge
• Evidenced strong social benefits
• Evidenced strong economic benefit with modern lighting
• It meets both regulation 8, 59C (a) maintenance of infrastructure, and though it does meet (b) addresses the demand from development in the area; funding is more suited from (a)

Resolved: Edenbridge Allotment and Garden Association £4,584 for replacement of garage door with new double doors and associated block work repairs for its garage storage area. Payment would be made once work had started and upon receipt of an invoice in the name of the Edenbridge Allotment and Garden Association for the works set out above.

Rickards Hall has been going through external repairs to repair issues which has allowed years of water to seep through creating a damp environment. The exterior repairs were done in June 2024, but the Hall now required internal repairs and redecoration. There had already been some repairs to the floor but the continued damp had damaged further sections of the floor, with two sections needing the floor to be lifted, joists replaced to remove and repair and replace wood. The Hall was a well used community facility used by a local children’s dance group, Brownies, Guides, Foodbank, Slimmers World, Games Club, and ladies probus groups, and other local organisations, as well as for birthday parties, wakes and other gatherings, and the council for its meetings.

Members supported the bid to enable the repairs to Rickards Hall flooring:

• Rickards Hall was a well-used community facility; and with increased development, increases the use and demand on the facility
• The infrastructure improvement meets the development needs to provide a better community facility for Edenbridge
• Evidenced strong social benefits
• Evidenced strong economic benefit with modern lighting
• It meets both regulation 8, 59C (a) maintenance of infrastructure, and (b) addresses the demand from development in the area

Resolved: CIL funding of up to £5,000 to be awarded to enable the flooring repairs to Rickards Hall. Payment would be upon the provision of invoice to and approved by Edenbridge Town Council.

The Recreation Ground Pavilion had received new windows and shutters in July 2024, finished in pine green. However, the gutters and downpipes remained in the original red, they were drab and in some places needed repairing. To complete the aesthetic appearance of the Pavilion it would be an enhancement to bring the gutters and pipework in keeping with the new pine green, but also they required some joint repairs, sanding and repaint to the gutters surrounding the building, downpipes and handrails. The Pavilion was home to the Rugby Club with its growing teams and membership, and also a number of football clubs used the facilities. Repainting and repairing the existing gutters and downpipes and to improve the overall appearance of the facility. The first phase of the external upgrade was to replace to the old Crittall windows with new windows and shutters. This phase would bring the external gutters and pipes to match the colour of the shutters from red to pine green.

Members supported the bid to for the gutters and downpipe repairs and repaint 

• The Recreation Ground Pavilion was a well-used community facility; and with increased development, increases the use and demand on the facility
• The infrastructure improvement meets the development needs to provide a better community facility for Edenbridge
• Evidenced strong social benefits
• Evidenced strong economic benefit with modern lighting
• It meets both regulation 8, 59C (a) maintenance of infrastructure, and (b) addresses the demand from development in the area

Resolved: CIL funding of up to £4,700 to be awarded to enable gutters and downpipes repairs and repaint. Payment would be upon the provision of invoice to and approved by Edenbridge Town Council.

The Rugby Club had raised issues about the heating for several years saying it was inefficient and did not work properly nor do the boilers meet the showering needs. In November 2023, the Rugby Club submitted a CIL application advising that the “heating system has failed in main clubhouse room and the hot water tanks are now redundant”, and to replace the system would cost £98,977. However, the Club does not have the legal right to replace the system as the tenant. The Council supported an independent heating engineer to assess the full system and make recommendations on repairs or if indeed the system needed replacement. They were also asked if the current system was adequate for the building or if additional measures could be taken to improve it. During the visit in January, the engineers found one of the gas boilers not to be functioning, so a GasSafe independent assessment was required before the full report. The heating engineers found that all shower areas received hot water, but the heating was not operating. The control panel was not working with the heaters for the boilers running 24/7. There were also several fault lights on the control panel. The GasSafe report concluded one boiler to not be working but could be repaired though may want to consider replacement. At the time of preparing this bid, it was not known the extent of work required.

The Council does not have £100k (estimate) at its disposable for a new heating and boiler system. CIL funds could be put towards these costs if the recommendation was to replace, or towards the repairs and refurbishment assuming the independent report concluded this was viable.  Either way, Council would consider the recommendations and make the decision, and would follow its procurement procedures before any works were commissioned.

The Pavilion was a well-used sports and community facility and home to the Rugby Club which had been increasing in teams and membership, and also a number of football clubs used the facilities. With the increasing users of the facility the building required a working, energy efficient heating and hot water boilers.

Members supported the bid to the Pavilion heating and boilers repairs (with potential replacement costs):

• The Recreation Ground Pavilion was a well-used community facility; and with increased development, increases the use and demand on the facility
• The infrastructure improvement meets the development needs to provide a better community facility for Edenbridge
• Evidenced strong social benefits
• Evidenced strong economic benefit with modern lighting
• It meets both regulation 8, 59C (a) maintenance of infrastructure, and (b) addresses the demand from development in the area

Resolved: CIL funding of up to £100,000 to be awarded for heating and boiler repairs at the Pavilion; noting this may result instead in the need for replacing the system. Payment(s) would be upon Council following its procurement procedures, and public tender process (Contract finder) if exceeded the £30k limit. Payment would be upon the provision of invoice to and approved by Edenbridge Town Council.

Noted.