Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision

To consider the withdrawal of the Council’s submitted Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) draft charging schedule.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning Policy & Transport

     i.        Resolved to approve the activation of Regulation 18 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (amended) and withdraw the Council’s submitted CIL draft charging schedule.

Reason for the Decision

As set out in the Officer’s report.

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

Not applicable.

Scrutiny Considerations

The Committee received a report from the Planning Consultant, Environment, which referred to the proposed CIL draft charging schedule that was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) in March 2014 in accordance with Regulation 19 of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010 (as amended).

Since the draft charging schedule was submitted, there had been a number of factors which would have a detrimental effect on the likely success of the CIL examination and future operation of the proposed CIL.

The Planning Consultant and the Senior Planning Policy Officer said the following in response to Members’ questions:

     i.        Once CIL had been introduced there was an allowance for the local authority to make a year on year increase based on the rate of inflation.

    ii.        S106 monies could be required from developments for matters to be put in place that would make it possible to approve a planning proposal that might not otherwise be acceptable in planning terms; collecting up to a maximum of five contributions towards a particular piece of infrastructure, such as funding to improve an access road to a site, to ensure that access would be safe once the development was completed.

   iii.        CIL monies was a general levy (worked out per square meter of the development) held in a ‘central pot’ which was for the charging authority to determine what those contributions could be spent on, generally as a result of an increase in development in the area.

  iv.        It was not possible to spend contributions from CIL and S106 on the same piece of infrastructure.

   v.        The requirement for the introduction of CIL was to have an up-to-date Local Plan where the infrastructure requirements could be calculated, the cost of delivery to assess the viability of the project.

The Committee resolved (unanimously) to endorse the recommendation.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

Conflicts of Interest Declared by the Executive Councillor (and any Dispensations Granted)

No conflicts of interest were declared by the Executive Councillor.