Agenda item

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Spending Protocol

Minutes:

The Committee considered a revised Community Infrastructure Levy Spending Protocol (as amended by a corrigendum issued prior to the meeting).

 

The Committee was addressed by:

 

            Mr Bateman, who reiterated the issues raised in his written deputation; and

 

            Councillor Kennett, who:

 

            (1)        Supported the deputation made by Mr Bateman; and

 

            (2)        Raised concern that the Forum was only made aware of the report 1½ days before the deadline for receipt of deputations

 

In response to the comments raised by the deputees,  the officers advised that:

 

(A)       the CIL regulations provided that 25% of the CIL receipts from development fell due to such areas, rather than 15% where there was no neighbourhood plan. It was proposed that the original 15% of CIL receipts for the area was considered as part of the wider allocation of funds, with the uplift of 10% ringfenced specifically to the Neighbourhood Plan area;

 

(B)       the revised protocol proposed that in future spending of the Neighbourhood Portion would be considered on a borough-wide basis, as opposed to by smaller areas. This would enable a fairer distribution of CIL monies; and

 

(C)       the Forum was advised of the report as soon as it was published.

 

The officers and relevant Cabinet Lead answered questions raised by members of the Committee.

 

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to:

 

a)         To approve the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Spending Protocol in the Appendix for use in CIL spending decisions;

 

b)         To grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning to amend the CIL Spending Protocol, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead for Housing, Communities & CIL (or any future Cabinet Lead responsible for Community Infrastructure Levy matters). Such changes shall be limited to

 

           i.           the correction of factual errors and changes necessary to accommodate national or local changes in regulations, guidance or procedures and shall not otherwise alter the meaning of the protocol;

          ii.          amending the Annual Funding Awards for the Neighbourhood Portion as set out in Part 4 of the CIL Spending Protocol where scrutiny by the Planning Policy Committee suggests this should be the case; and

          iii.         Amending the branding of the Spending Protocol to align with the Council’s Corporate Strategy and wider place-making and regeneration agenda and commentary within the document.

 

c)          To grant delegated authority to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead for Housing, Communities & CIL (or any future Cabinet Lead responsible for Community Infrastructure Levy matters) to prepare guidance and relevant processes for the implementation and administration of CIL spending decisions in line with the Spending Protocol;

 

 

d)         To grant delegated authority to the Community Infrastructure Officer/Team Leader, in consultation with the Head of Planning and the Cabinet Lead, to approve spends from the neighbourhood portion and interim Strategic CIL spends with a value of no greater than £10,000.

 

e)         To grant delegated authority to the Cabinet Lead responsible for CIL to approve interim spends greater than £10,000, in consultation with the S151 Officer, and, where the value exceeds £50,000, after consideration by the Planning Policy Committee.

 

f)          To grant delegated authority to the Community Infrastructure Officer/Team Leader, in consultation with the Head of Planning and the Cabinet Lead, to approve spends from the neighbourhood portion;

 

g)         To grant delegated authority to the Community Infrastructure Officer/Team Leader to assign available neighbourhood portion funds for 2022/23 in line with section 4.8 of the Spending Protocol

 

 

Supporting documents: