Issue - decisions

Matter for Decision:  

In March 2010 Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council commissioned an Infrastructure Delivery Study. It was endorsed as an evidence base document for the Cambridge Local Plan Review and the Cambridge Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) at Development Plan Scrutiny Sub-Committee in September 2012. The document was agreed as a live document that can be updated over time to reflect changing circumstances such as changes in the planned level of provision of housing and employment.

This update had been carried out to reflect the now agreed planned levels of provision emerging through the Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire District Local Plan Reviews. The updated Infrastructure Delivery Study sets out when and where infrastructure will need to be provided, the scale of funding needed to achieve this and potential sources of funding.

The study had been produced in collaboration with infrastructure and community service providers in order to obtain first hand views on requirements. The output is a study that provides the Council with an evidence base to support its planning policies on infrastructure and developer contributions. The document would form a key part of the evidence base at both Local Plan and Community Infrastructure Levy examinations.

Decision of Executive Councillor for Planning and Climate Change:

The Executive Councillor resolved:

       i.          To endorse the update to the Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Infrastructure Delivery Study Update for use as an evidence base document for the Draft Cambridge Local Plan 2031 and the Cambridge Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

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 Senior Planning Policy Officer regarding the update to the Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council infrastructure delivery study.

The Officer clarified the following points in response to questions from the Committee.

       i.          Page 120, Ref 396. The apparent shortfall in education funding could be due an existing deficiency. The Head of Planning would investigate this issue and include any corrections in the final version of the report which will be submitted as part of the evidence base at both Local Plan and CIL examinations. .

Action

     ii.          Questions were asked regarding leisure provision and the Head of Planning confirmed that while s106 money could not be used to fund existing deficiencies and that CIL should not be used to remedy pre-existing deficiencies unless those deficiencies will be made more severe by new development.

   iii.          CIL could also be used to fund utility infrastructure. However, this was thought to be unlikely in Cambridgeshire.

The Committee agreed that it was very difficult for them to scrutinise the document in its current form, and without more detailed background information. The Head of Planning confirmed that the document had been presented at this stage due to its links to the Local Plan. However, the Committee would get further opportunities to scrutinise the document as governance processes and approaches to determining funding priorities were developed.

The Committee resolved by 2 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendations.

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation.

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.