Issue - meetings

By way of a report by the Head of Planning Services to consider a draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule and to approve it as a basis for further discussion and consultation.

Approved the contents of a proposed Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule and authorised the Head of Planning Services to make any minor consequential amendments to the text and supporting documentation, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing.

By way of a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet was invited to consider the contents of a proposed Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule.

It was reported that the new scheme would put the Council in a more powerful position with regard to influencing where money from the CIL is spent.  However, it would bring with it additional responsibilities including the establishment of an appropriate policy outlining the charges to be imposed, the process to be employed and monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure sound governance arrangements.  The draft schedule had been discussed by the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) arising from which had been suggested that a “plain English” version of the scheme be made available on the Council’s website.

In discussing the charging proposed, The Cabinet questioned the desirability of not charging for general industrial, storage and distribution. The Managing Director (Communities, Partnerships and Projects) advised Members that charges could only be set on the basis of viability and not policy and that the rates had been set after taking into account the viability of the business to pay the charge.

Having noted the timetable for consultation with the public, parish and town councils and other interested bodies and in agreeing that the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Environmental Well-Being) be given the opportunity to review the comments received prior to the final documents approval by the Cabinet, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the preliminary draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule be approved for consultation purposes; and

  (b)  that the Head of Planning Services be authorised, after consultation with the Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, to make any minor consequential amendment to the text and supporting documentation.

To receive a report by the Head of Planning Services introducing the Council’s proposed Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule.

(Councillor N J Guyatt, Executive Councillor for Strategic Planning and Housing, was in attendance for consideration of this item).

The Panel gave consideration to a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) proposing a Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for consultation.

Having been informed that under the CIL the Council would be responsible for collecting contributions from developers, the Panel noted that the new scheme would give the Council the power to influence how the levy was spent. In order to introduce the CIL the Council was required to establish an appropriate policy outlining the charges to be imposed, the process to be employed when determining the allocation of funding and the monitoring and accountability mechanisms that would be in place to ensure there was sound governance.

In response to a question on the level of resources that would be required to administer the scheme, the Head of Planning Services informed the Panel that service level agreements would be established with the beneficiaries of levy funds. Members commented on the need to include a requirement that clear and transparent detailed information was produced on the delivery of projects within the terms of the agreements. In noting that the Planning Authority would be required to produce an annual report on the CIL for submission to the Government, Members requested sight of this report as a matter of course at a future Panel meeting.

The Panel discussed a number of matters relating to the Draft Charging Schedule. It was noted that the administrative costs that could be charged to the CIL were legally limited to 5% of the income from it. It also was reported that the CIL Charging Schedule would be updated regularly to take into account changes to local circumstances. The Panel discussed the process through which other public sector bodies would negotiate the amount they received through the CIL and noted that Members would be involved in determining the funding of local infrastructure projects. It was suggested that a “plain English” version of the document was made available on the Council’s website.

Having expressed their satisfaction with the content of the document and following requests for an opportunity to review the comments received through the consultation before the Charging Schedule was adopted, the Panel

RESOLVED

that the Cabinet be recommended to approve the Preliminary Draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule for the purposes of consultation.