Issue - decisions

The Committee received a report from the Urban Growth Project Manager.

The report outlined that its meeting on 24 April 2017, the South Area Committee identified its latest priorities for the use of available S106 contributions for which the Area Committee had devolved decision-making powers, in line with the first recommendation within the S106 report. Business cases for those prioritised projects would be developed, as appropriate, so that projects which passed this project appraisal stage could then be implemented. The Area Committee would be kept informed of progress.

That April 2017 report also included a second recommendation to reverse decisions on two projects previously prioritised in the 2015/16 S106 funding round, which were not now in a position to proceed. Given the focus of discussion at the 24 April meeting on the 2016/17 priority-setting round, it was not clear that the Area Committee explicitly made a decision on that second recommendation. The purpose of this follow-up report was, therefore, to seek clarification of this specific point. It featured relevant extracts from the April 2017 report.

The Urban Growth Project Manager said the following in response to Members’ questions:

       i.          There was no specific Cherry Hinton Hub proposal in the 2015/16 s106 round. SAC had ringfenced some funding for the future in case a project came forward eg Cherry Hinton Library.

     ii.          S106 regulations stipulated that funding was used to mitigate the impact of developments so funding from the area did not have to be spent in the same ward.

   iii.          The next round for s106 funding for community facilities would happen later in 2017 after the strategic review.

Following discussion, Members unanimously resolved to reverse those decisions made by the Area Committee in the 2015/16 S106 funding round which prioritised the following two proposals:

       i.          Accordia junior ‘fit kit’ (allocated £15,000 of (play) ‘provision for children and teenagers’ S106 contributions) and

     ii.          St Paul’s Primary School community facility improvements (allocated £40,000 of ‘community facilities’ S106 contributions).