Agenda item

The Panel is invited to comment on the Community Infrastructure Levy Governance Review.

Executive Councillor: T Sanderson

By means of a report and presentation by the Chief Planning Officer (a copy of which was appended in the Minute Book), the Community Infrastructure Levy Governance Review was presented to the Panel.

In response to a question from Councillor Gardener relating to rural areas, the Panel heard that CIL funding was strategic and that the revised approach to Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) would allow for the meaningful portion of CIL to go further. It was clarified that the funding was available for those looking to unlock growth with a strategic intent or benefit, and that the team would look to engage with parishes to establish how CIL could be generated to meet their aspirations. It was noted that this was only one type of many funding opportunities available to parishes.

Councillor Pickering observed that the new approach may be considered as the Council taking control rather than the parishes, following which, the Panel heard that the team had taken learnings from recent work in other districts and that although parish relationships had been identified as a risk for the project, the team would confident that this approach was consistent with high quality and best practice.

Councillor Corney enquired whether a study had been undertaken to reassess unsuccessful applications from the last round of funding to ascertain whether the new scheme would have provided them with a different outcome. The Panel heard that whilst such a study hadn’t been undertaken, but that the flowchart in the report demonstrated that in the context of previous applications some had no link to growth and therefore were not successful.

Councillor Catmur observed that better engagement with parishes would be welcomed and would be helpful to develop parishes understanding of CIL. The Panel heard that a communications plan was being developed and that the team would attend a parish conference in October to further assist and advise interested parishes.

In response to a question from Councillor Cawley, the Panel were assured that whilst there would undoubtedly be an impact on resources, the team would have access to an administrative pot of funding to assist with this. It was further observed that whilst there may be some time investment required in the early stages of applications but that this may prove more beneficial in the long term.

Following a question from Councillor Pickering regarding CIL being spent in the communities where it had been generated, the Panel heard that the new scheme allowed for a more positive spread of the funding and utilising it to unlock growth across the district. This would include a benefit to more rural areas whose contribution to the CIL fund may be minor in terms of the district but significant in the growth of that community.

Councillor Martin observed that the proposed change in threshold for officer approved applications rising from £50,000 to £100,000 seemed a significant increase and expressed concern that as a result very few applications would be discussed in the democratic process. The Panel heard that due to rising costs, this threshold was deemed to be a reasonable increase and that officer time and resource also needed to be considered as well as the ability to make quicker and more efficient decisions. Councillor Martin suggested that this increase in threshold be reviewed in 12 months to assess it’s effectiveness and suitability for the long term. Following which it was proposed by Councillor Cawley to add an additional recommendation to the Cabinet report; that the increase in officer approved applications from £50,000 to £100,000 be reviewed in 12 months and a report be brought back through the democratic cycle to assess the effectiveness of this change. The Panel were in favour of proposing this recommendation for consideration by Cabinet.

Following the discussion, it was

RESOLVED

that the comments of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel be passed to Cabinet for their consideration when making a decision upon the recommendations within the report; and;

that Cabinet be encouraged to add the proposed recommendation 7 to the report;

7)   that the increase in officer approved applications from £50,000 to £100,000 be reviewed in 12 months and a report be brought back through the democratic cycle to assess the effectiveness of this change.