Taylor Wimpey pays out £2.5m to restore abbey

Building giant Taylor Wimpey is paying more than £2.5 million towards restoration work at Combermere Abbey.

The cash handout is part of a Section 106 planning deal reached earlier this year in a scheme to build 43 homes at Sheppenhall Lane in Aston.

Cheshire East has been handed £2,585,224 as a deposit to help pay for restoration work on the crumbling north wing of the Abbey which was in danger of collapse.

In return the public will get greater access to the Abbey which will open for a minimum of 40 days a year, access to the gardens for a minimum of six days a year and the Abbey grounds for an additional two days a year to allow two local parish councils to hold events there.

It takes the total amount held by Cheshire East Council through S106 agreements to nearly £8 million, with £3.6 million of that earmarked for none-time limited projects.

The substantial capital cash now held in the council's S106 account has generated more than £500,000 in revenues for Cheshire East.

Following an internal council audit, a report to the council's scrutiny committee is recommending tight management of S106 agreements and of the income generated from them.

The report says: "It is important that the negotiation of planning obligations and subsequent expenditure of any contributions received from developers are carefully monitored in a transparent and accountable way. Effective communication of the agreements to all relevant parties is crucial to the process."

Under S106 agreements, developers can be obliged to fund community works as part of approval for planning applications.

Among project currently being funded by developers in Cheshire East are public transport initiatives, cycleways and walking paths, CCTV installations, traffic lights, bus stops, pelican crossings, road marking, off-street parking, public open space, football pitches, play equipment, landscaping, grounds maintenance, community halls and allotments.

The Combermere Abbey deal puts the Audlem ward top of the table for S106 deals with £1.9 million in cash funds currently available. Next is Alderley Edge with around £146,000 and Congleton West with £414,000 to spend.

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