UP to £700,000 that could have been spent on sports, leisure and environmental schemes across Fenland has been deferred and will have to take its chance in next year s budgeting. Fenland District Council abandoned spending a capital projects surplus afte

UP to £700,000 that could have been spent on sports, leisure and environmental schemes across Fenland has been deferred and will have to take its chance in next year's budgeting.

Fenland District Council abandoned spending a capital projects surplus after the cabinet failed to reach agreement.

However, in a report published this week, the cabinet noted that "members felt they could not support the proposed new capital schemes until they had received further details of each scheme".

What is required, the report says, is such things as a business plan and information on funding sources.

The report also stated that potential schemes put forward, together with estimated capital funding, were:

- Lattersey nature reserve, Whittlesey - £25,000

- A605 layby between Kings Delph and King's Dyke, Whittlesey - £10,000

- King Edward Centre, Chatteris - £340,000

- March Gateway scheme - £200,000

- Gorefield Sports and Amenity Centre - £40,000

- Community sports equipment loan scheme - £10,000

- Benwick multi-use games area - £45,000

These schemes will now go into the forward plans for next year and could be competing with other schemes which have been identified.

These could include: infrastructure and car park development at the South Fens Business Centre, Chatteris; car park refurbishment district wide, but particularly Church Terrace, Wisbech; land purchase in south west Wisbech; and a maritime museum in Wisbech port area.

Failure to agree on any extra schemes for this year, followed a cabinet request for all councillors to "put forward capital schemes for consideration to utilise the uncommitted capital funding identified in July".

The cabinet did, however, agree to allocate an extra £100,000 for disabled facilities grants this year.

Councillors were also told they have probably overstated the "general contingency" of £600,000 set aside for the Nene Waterfront regeneration scheme at Wisbech.

The contingency can be reduced by £200,000, officers conclude, "thereby releasing this resource for other high priority schemes and would result in a total of £430,000 of resources being available for new schemes".