Agenda item

To receive a report confirming the Council’s updated approach to the strategic allocation and use of CIL, ensuring decisions remain evidence?based, aligned with strategic priorities, and responsive to planning reform and Local Government Reorganisation.

The Cabinet has

(1)  noted the paper and the alignment of the approach with the existing CIL Governance arrangement;

(2)  agreed the approach to the Strategic Allocation of CIL funds as set out in the submitted report forms the Strategic Priority Programme to be delivered as part of the next stage of CIL Governance (approved in 2024);

(3)  agreed the suggested approach in respect of use and assignment of CIL funding, or ‘forward funding’ towards projects which form part of the Councils wider Capital Programme, where those projects would align with the adopted CIL Governance;

(4)  agreed to retain a minimum level of CIL funding of £3-5m, in order to maintain a level of funding available to support future funding rounds;

(5)  noted that the use of CIL funds does not preclude the Council from utilising other funding approaches for future projects should this be required in future; in all cases, this would be subject to detailed assessment at the relevant time;

(6)  delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Corporate Director (Finance and Resources and Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Leader, Executive Councillor for Finance, and Executive Councillor for Planning to determine the level of allocation of CIL funding to be awarded towards projects which form part of the Councils agreed Capital Programme, based on the principles set out in the submitted report; and

(7)  delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Finance and Resources and Section 151 Officer) to undertake all necessary actions to ensure that appropriate governance and financial reconciliation measures are in place.

A report by the Deputy Chief Executive and Corporate Director (Place) and the Interim Corporate Director - Finance & Resources was submitted (a copy of which is appended to the Minute Book) seeking confirmation of the Council’s updated approach to the strategic allocation and use of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), ensuring decisions remain evidence-based, aligned with the strategic priorities, and responsive to planning reform and Local Government Reorganisation.

The Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, Councillor Mickelburgh introduced the report, drawing attention to the comments of the Overview & Scrutiny Panel (Performance & Growth). He commented that the new plan improved on the existing arrangements that sometimes led to applications that the Council wanted to approve not being approved because the rules did not allow and therefore was a step forward. Although it would be desirable to ring-fence CIL funds at the point of Local Government Reorganisation, he advised that the Council could not bind another administration in the future, however it would be prudent to consider putting in place new governance that would allow the Council to make awards with Council funded money and apply that back to residents for schemes within the Huntingdonshire area.

The Cabinet noted that the policy was a much more robust way of distributing money and better met the Council’s strategic purposes. Town and Parish Councils were encouraged to go through the process with officers and engage early with them. It was necessary to be satisfied that the money was being spent in ways the met the legal requirements but it was important to support Town and Parish Councils and steer them through accessing District Council CIL as well as accessing their own funding. The policy also set out terms for ensuring money was being used for its intended purpose as effectively as possible and more swiftly than had previously been the case.

The Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources made reference to a question from the Overview & Scrutiny Panel which had not been included in the Scrutiny Comments document, regarding how much money the Council would have saved if the policy change had been implemented sooner. He advised that the Council had not engaged in any external borrowing, therefore could not have avoided external borrowing costs. Whereupon it was

RESOLVED

that

(1)  the paper and the alignment of the approach with the existing CIL Governance arrangement be noted;

(2)  the approach to the Strategic Allocation of CIL funds as set out in the submitted report forms the Strategic Priority Programme to be delivered as part of the next stage of CIL Governance (approved in 2024) be agreed;

(3)  the suggested approach in respect of use and assignment of CIL funding, or ‘forward funding’ towards projects which form part of the Councils wider Capital Programme, where those projects would align with the adopted CIL Governance be agreed;

(4)  to retain a minimum level of CIL funding of £3-5m, in order to maintain a level of funding available to support future funding rounds be agreed;

(5)  that the use of CIL funds does not preclude the Council from utilising other funding approaches for future projects should this be required in future; in all cases, this would be subject to detailed assessment at the relevant time be noted;

(6)  authority be delegated to the Corporate Director (Place) and the Corporate Director (Finance and Resources and Section 151 Officer) in consultation with the Leader, Executive Councillor for Finance, and Executive Councillor for Planning to determine the level of allocation of CIL funding to be awarded towards projects which form part of the Councils agreed Capital Programme, based on the principles set out in the submitted report; and

(7)  authority be delegated to the Corporate Director (Finance and Resources and Section 151 Officer) to undertake all necessary actions to ensure that appropriate governance and financial reconciliation measures are in place