Agenda item

Recommendations for Community Infrastructure Spending

Minutes:

Emma Kemp, Senior Planning Policy Officer, introduced the report which sought Cabinet approval to release Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Funds, as recommended by the CIL Executive Board, to help deliver infrastructure projects required to support development in the district. During discussion, the following points were highlighted:

 

·       Following the collection of CIL payments, the payments were apportioned in two parts; the first part included 5% allocated to the CIL administration fee (staffing and software) and between 15-25% (dependent on the adoption of a neighbourhood plan) was automatically allocated to town and parish councils, twice yearly. The second apportionment was the remainder of collected CIL payments and was the amount recommended for spending in the report.

 

·       The CIL awards considered by the CIL Management Board were comprised of all the recommendations into the three pots; the local pot, the community pot, and the small projects pot; and the CIL Executive Board, which reviewed the CIL Management Board recommendations and also considered the bids into the strategic pot. The governance arrangements for this process had been in place since 2015.

 

·       For previously awarded funds communication was maintained with the infrastructure providers and grant agreements were completed prior to the handing over of any funds, which included updated quotes. In the case of large projects, the Council’s planning and legal teams worked with the provider and if necessary, staged payments were provided. Complete payments for smaller projects were made once all the correct and outstanding documents were in place; all projects were dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

 

·       The preference was for CIL payments to be collected and project funds delivered on an annual basis. However, this would be impacted by the number and size of developments coming forward, and how quickly the various funding pots built up. A database of infrastructure providers was maintained, and close communications were maintained with town and parish councils who, in turn, were asked to communicate with community groups. Prior to the CIL Bidding Round infrastructure providers were invited to the Council to receive training on the CIL process and how good bids were formed.

 

·      After the CIL Boards made their recommendations to Cabinet small amounts remained in the strategic and local and pots. Two bids were received which were recommended for approval but exceeded the funds available in the Pots. However, CIL monies were confirmed as due in the next 12 months from developments that had already commenced and as a result, these bids would still be recommended for approval. Funds remained in the community pot as a result of bids that were not approved or that had not been submitted. No funds were allocated beyond amounts that the Council was due in CIL monies, in any given round of application bids.

 

·       There were currently no examples of Neighbourhood CIL funds unspent and approaching the five-year deadline for their use. The Planning team worked closely with all stakeholders to avoid this outcome.

 

·       For those CIL bids that were subject to recommendations going to Cabinet, there were plans to introduce a spend time-limit of 3 years.

 

·       Members considered that communication of the availability of CIL funds to local councils and community groups could be strengthened and publicised more widely across the district.

 

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report, in full.

Supporting documents: