A COUNCIL has hit back at claims it is sitting on almost £400,000 of cash as it says the money depends on many factors outside of its control.

Mid Suffolk District Council is working on projects within the community using Section 106 funds.

Last week it was criticised for its handling of the money by the council’s opposition leader, Andrew Stringer.

The Section 106 agreements come from developers and is used to improve the infrastructure surrounding new developments.

A spokeswoman for Mid Suffolk said: “Delivering projects with Section 106 money almost always depends on a number of factors which can have a significant impact on the time it takes to bring these about.

“In some cases the funding is a contribution towards the overall costs of a project, so we can only use the money when the rest of the funding is available and in other circumstances we are waiting for the relevant planning consents to commence on site.

“With housing developments for example, Section 106 projects may only start when a specific stage in the development is reached which triggers the release of sufficient sums of money to fund the work.”

She said the council is working on a number of projects using the Section 106 funds, including affordable housing projects at Wilby and Stowmarket and new play and recreational facilities across the district.