Issue - meetings

To receive a report by the Head of Planning Services reviewing progress of the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy for Huntingdonshire.

Agreed that further work be progressed with partners through the Huntingdon Strategic Partnership to develop the framework and draft business plan, to take forward the next stages required in the Governance process; requested the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy to liaise with the Heads of Finance and of Legal and Democratic Services to agree draft procedural and management protocols; and requested a further report to be submitted to the Cabinet as procedural and management protocols become clearer.

Further to Minute No. 11/109 and by means of a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were acquainted with progress being made with the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for Huntingdonshire and a proposed governance structure for dealing with CIL spend.

In so doing, Executive Councillors were advised that a business plan would be created by the Growth and Infrastructure Group of the Huntingdonshire Strategic Partnership.  The Plan would be a living document responding to the emerging development proposals coming forward to the implementation phase. Infrastructure providers could then bid for funding as infrastructure proposals came forward. The Plan would be endorsed by the Huntingdonshire Strategic Partnership Board prior to it being formally signed off or renegotiated by the Cabinet.

Having referred to the need to continue to monitor the spend of Section 106 monies and in noting the deliberations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Economic Well-Being), the Cabinet

RESOLVED

  (a)  that the proposed CIL Governance Structure, appended to the report now submitted, be approved;

  (b)  that further work be progressed with partners through the Huntingdonshire Strategic Partnership to develop the framework and draft business plan, to take forward the next stages required in the Governance process;

  (c)  that the Head of Planning and Housing Strategy be requested to liaise with the Heads of Finance and of Legal and Democratic Services to agree draft procedural and management protocols; and

  (d)  that a further report be submitted to the Cabinet as procedural and management protocols become clearer.

To receive an update on the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy for Huntingdonshire and to comment on an initial draft framework for the ‘governance’ of CIL receipts and its related spending.

(Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Panels for (Social Well-Being) and Environmental Well-Being) have been invited to attend for the discussion on this item).

The Panel considered a report by the Head of Planning Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) which contained an update on the progress being made with the implementation of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for Huntingdonshire and seeking comments on a draft framework for the governance of CIL receipts and its related spending. The Head of Planning and Housing Strategy reminded the Panel that the CIL for Huntingdonshire has been place since 1^st May 2012 and that in view of the limited expenditure which was expected in the forthcoming year, the Cabinet had agreed that any monies received during 2012/13 would be banked. Members were informed that the Government was still to provide guidance with regard to the distribution of CIL funding and that the report which had been produced was a step in the process of identifying appropriate governance arrangements.

Councillor M F Shellens, with reference to the re-development of RAF Brampton, commented on the need for the Government to determine a figure for the ‘meaningful amount’ of receipts which would be allocated to the area in which the development lay. Members were informed that this had been the subject of a Government consultation and it was estimated that there would be a dedicated pot in the region of 5% to be spent on infrastructure to support growth. This would be in addition to any monies from CIL or Section 106 funding for a particular development.

Members questioned what provision there might be for adjacent areas, which were affected by a particular development. In response, the Head of Planning Services reported that the legislation stated that a meaningful proportion of CIL receipts were to be allocated to a particular community. It was, however, recognised that some developments would have broader implications. Members were reminded that with the exception of the meaningful proportion, CIL in general could be spent anywhere and, therefore, it was important to develop a business plan for the needs of the District.

In terms of the proposed governance arrangements set out within the report, Members commented on the need to provide an opportunity for Parish Councils to exert some influence on the process. Although Members were informed that work had been ongoing with local communities to consider the needs in a group of parishes, Members were of the opinion that there should be representation from parishes and the rural areas on the Growth and Infrastructure Thematic Group.

Reference having been made to the existing Section 106 Working Group and the audit trails which were already in place to monitor spending of Section 106 monies, Members enquired about the processes that would be adopted for the CIL. They were reminded that the District Council was responsible for making decisions on the allocation of funding and advised that Service Level Agreements might be used. Expenditure on particular projects would be monitored. In this respect, attention was drawn to recommendation c within the report which further attempted to address this issue and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46