Issue - meetings

The Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, Councillor B A Mickelburgh to present a report regarding Discretionary Charges in Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection.

(The report was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Performance and Growth) and the Cabinet at their meetings in June 2025. The Cabinet endorsed the recommendations).

With the aid of a report and presentation by Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection (copies of which are appended in the Minute Book) the Council considered a report seeking to review and enhance discretionary charges in Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, focusing on enhancing service deliver, covering rising operational costs, reacting to national government changes and ensuring the sustainability of the services.

By way of introduction, the Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources, Councillor B A Mickelburgh explained that the recent Planning Peer Review had identified missed opportunities to generate revenue. It was also noted that there was a desire to spend funding generated through both Commercial Infrastructure Levy and BioDiversity Net Gain (BNG) on projects within Huntingdonshire.

The process and impact of BNG was discussed highlighting the need for developers to deliver a 10% biodiversity net gain and that this be monitor for 30 years to ensure its success. This will have significant gains for biodiversity throughout the district however will come with long term responsibilities for the Council. By introducing a charge for monitoring fees, this work would remain cost-neutral and accounted for.

The Executive Councillor also drew attention to a request from the Overview and Scrutiny Panel and advised that Officers met with both the Executive Councillors for Planning and Finance along with the Shadow Executive Councillors for Planning and Finance to develop the fees as shown within Appendix 2 of the report.

Councillor K P Gulson expressed his support for the paper and agreed with the introduction of a discretionary charge for planning and agreed that it would be right to generate income and streamline throughput of these applications. However, he expressed concern due to the fact that BNG was new and a massive challenge with a long term monitoring requirement. He felt that by getting that process right from the implementation would help to ensure it’s long term success.

The Executive Councillor for Planning, Councillor T Sanderson acknowledged that the report had received thorough scrutiny through the Overview and Scrutiny (Performance and Growth) Panel. He acknowledged that income generation had been identified by the planning peer review and that the requirement for BNG would take up resource therefore it was right to introduce the discretionary charge alongside the recommendation from the peer review. He gave his support to the report and the recommendations contained within.

Councillor P J Hodgson-Jones enquired whether the mentioned habitat banks across Huntingdonshire could form an integral part of the revised Local Plan in particular, he suggested that, their location could be used strategically to prevent urban sprawl, and to enhance biodiversity within the district. He felt that by fully integrating this into the planning process would ensure its future success. The Executive Councillor noted these points and hoped that they would be integrated where feasible.

Councillor R Martin echoed the comments of Councillor Gulson and stated that he believed that residents should not be paying for things that developers were doing.

Whereupon having been proposed and duly seconded, it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21

To consider a report outlining a strategic proposal to review and enhance discretionary Charges in Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, focusing on enhancing service delivery, covering rising operational costs, reacting to national government changes and ensuring the sustainability of the services

Executive Councillor: B Mickelburgh

The Cabinet has noted the contents of the report.

Additionally, the Cabinet has recommended to Council

(a)  that the review of Discretionary Charges within Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection be endorsed, and authority be delegated to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources, to implement changes; and

(b)  that authority be delegated to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources, to undertake the following, for the current financial year:

  i.  Introduction of new fees

  ii.  Modification of existing fees

  iii.  Updating/adjusting of fees

  iv.  Waiving of fees

A report by the Head of Planning, Infrastructure & Public Protection was submitted (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) explaining the reasons for reviewing and implementing changes to discretionary Charges in Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, focusing on enhancing service delivery, covering rising operational costs, reacting to national government changes and ensuring the sustainability of the services

In setting out the report, the Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources referred to the comments made by the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Performance & Growth), particularly in relation to their concerns regarding the wording of recommendation B. He noted that the Panel were widely in favour of the proposal but agreed with their recommendation that the wording of recommendation B needed to clarify that the delegated authority would be until the end of the current financial year. However, with regards to the Panel’s recommendation to extend the delegation to the Shadow Executive Councillors for Planning & Finance, he commented that this was not something recognised by the Constitution. As such, he was nervous about acknowledging that which did not exist Constitutionally. Although he had no problem with Councillors keeping an eye on the governance checks and balances, proceeding via the method of involving Shadow Cabinet within that delegation was not accepted.

Similarly, the Executive Councillor for Economy, Regeneration and Housing agreed and stated that informal discussions or briefings behind the scenes in the usual way would give Scrutiny colleagues some reassurance.

A question was raised by the Executive Councillor for Climate, Transformation and Workforce regarding whether the views of developers had been sought with regards to the charges proposed to be introduced. Furthermore, she asked that if the approval was for one year, whether there would opportunity after that to go back again to developers to gauge their thoughts.

In response, the Executive Councillor for Planning was happy to take that back to the Planning Department to seek clarification. The Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources stated that this would fall into the normal Fees and Charges schedule, and during the course of the normal budget round, if there were lots of pushback or concerns, although this was unlikely, they would appear in the Fees and Charges.

The Cabinet agreed that the wording of recommendation B in the report should be amended to reflect that the delegated authority was for the current financial year, and it was

RESOLVED

(a)  the contents of the report be noted;

(b)  that the Council be recommended to approve the review of Discretionary Charges within Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, and authority be delegated to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources, to implement changes; and

(c)  that the Council be recommended to delegate authority to the Head of Planning, Infrastructure and Public Protection, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and Executive Councillor for Finance & Resources, to undertake the following, for the current financial year

  i.  Introduction of new fees.

  ii.  Modification of existing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15