Agenda item - Section 106 Planning Obligations, Annual Report, Financial Report 2018/19

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Agenda item

Section 106 Planning Obligations, Annual Report, Financial Report 2018/19

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment and Culture (copy attached)

Minutes:

44.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture which provided information on the type and value of financial contributions made under Section 106 of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 in 2018/19. These were payments secured through planning agreements or undertakings (“planning obligations”) as part of the planning application process that are determined by Planning Committee. The report also provided updates on the type and value of contributions secured, received and spent in 2018/19.

 

44.2       The Planning Manager, Planning Policy, explained that Community Infrastructure Levy(CIL) governance described the way in which CIL income was to be managed and spent. CIL would not generate enough funds to completely cover the cost of new infrastructure needed to fully support planned development in the city. As such, there would be competing demands for this funding. It is therefore important to ensure that there are robust, accountable and democratic structures in place to ensure the spending of CIL funds are prioritised in the right way. It was suggested that a CIL Infrastructure/Management Board (or similar) would need to be set up to manage the process for making decisions on how CIL income is spent across the city both in terms of the ‘neighbourhood portion’ and the ‘strategic pot’. In outline, this was likely to require an annual prioritisation and assessment process to be set up and agreed.

 

44.3    Councillor Miller welcomed the report which set out clearly the schemes to which s106 money had been allocated and where that money had been spent. Councillor Miller went on to enquire regarding the overall “pot” of money available and it was confirmed that stood at around £13m.

 

44.4    Councillor Shanks noted that there had been several instances where s106 monies had been unable to be spent, whilst regrettable that was very rare. In answer to further questions by Councillor Shanks. It was explained that the purposes to which such monies could be put and the sums involved was restricted and had to be applied using a strict formula, generally this had to relate to the immediate vicinity of any given site.

 

44.5    Councillor Yates referred to the manner in which commuted sums were accounted for when they related to affordable housing asking whether they were treated as a “reserve”.

 

44.6    Councillor Janio sought clarification as to whether sums in relation to delivery of the council’s own schemes/sites was applied to its general fund activity which was ultimately reported through the Policy and Resources Committee.

 

44.7    RESOLVED – That the Committee notes the information set out in the report regarding Section 106 financial contribution sums secured, received and spent within the last financial year (2018/19).

Supporting documents:

 


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