Lead Member – Councillor R Macey – Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing Development

Report of the Director of Place

Contact: Mark Barrow         Tel: 01743 258919

RESOLVED:

i)             That the proposed additions and clarifications to the existing CIL Regulation 123 List, be approved;

ii)            That the indicative spend allocations for the projects to be included on the CIL Regulation 123 List, be approved;

iii)           That further Task and Finish Group meetings be arranged to discuss:

·                     Broader issues around CIL funding arrangements and the Place Plans

·                     How best to communicate and consult with Town and Parish Councils regarding CIL funding arrangements and the Place Plans.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing Development presented a report from the Director of Place seeking approval for critical and strategic additions to the Council’s CIL Regulation 123 List and to agree indicative spend allocations for these additional projects.

A Member drew attention to the wide upset on this issue within the Parish and Town Council community specifically relating to the lack of consultation and communication.  Another Member added that the policy had been developed 9 years ago and related at that time to development and reward in the community in which the development occurred; he believed that the Policy was being misread or misinterpreted from its original intent. He suggested that a Task and Finish Group would be well placed to revisit the issues. 

The Portfolio Holder commented that a Task and Finish Group would be in a position to invite witnesses and look at CIL breakdown thoroughly.  The Leader stated that he would consider whether to establish a Task and Finish Group of Cabinet or whether to make a request to scrutiny to consider the establishment of a Task and Finish Group.  Responding to a Member’s suggestions that Parish and Town Councils be included on the membership of any Task and Finish Group, the Head of Legal and Democratic Services reminded Members that Task and Finish Group meetings were not held in public in order to allow Members to think the unthinkable; the final report from the Task and Finish Group was then reported to its parent Scrutiny Committee and, at that point, would be in the public domain.

The Leader agreed that Town and Parish Councils should have the freedom to spend the monies that would be assessed through their own audit processes.  He recognised that there was room for improvement in the current process and noted concerns raised regarding the nature and location of some of the projects that had received CIL funding.  The Portfolio Holder stressed that projects not currently included on the CIL 123 List could still come forward, particularly following the finalisation of the updated Place Plans.

RESOLVED:

i)             That the proposed additions and clarifications to the existing CIL Regulation 123 List, be approved;

ii)            That the indicative spend allocations for the projects to be included on the CIL Regulation 123 List, be approved;

iii)           That further Task and Finish Group meetings be arranged to discuss:

·                     Broader issues around CIL funding arrangements and the Place Plans

·                     How best to communicate and consult with Town and Parish Councils regarding CIL funding arrangements and the Place Plans.