Agenda item

It was agreed by the Chairman to vary the order of the Agenda and for Members to discuss Item 11 first.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning and Chairman of the Community Infrastructure Levy Steering Group (CILSG) guided Members through the report of the Director – Place and Climate Change, which proposed the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Governance arrangements and proposals for apportionment of Strategic CIL funds.  A CILSG had been established to consider the allocation and spending of the Strategic CIL funding.  The CILSG had met four times and the report detailed what had been considered / discussed at each meeting.

Appendix 1 to the report identified the updated CIL Governance and Funding Decisions Protocol for consideration and allocation of Strategic CIL funding and included the application form, assessment criteria and validation checklist.  The Protocol outlined how the Council, as the Charging Authority, allocated the Strategic CIL and ensured governance arrangements were consistent and transparent.  There were two main funds, namely the Rother Infrastructure Fund (RIF) (55% apportion) and the Infrastructure Matched Fund (25% apportion).  Both would be sub-divided into Bexhill and Rural sub-funds.  Funds would be allocated to projects identified on the annual Infrastructure Funding Statement and prioritised by the Strategic CIL Allocations Panel.  A Climate Emergency Bonus Fund (20% apportion) would be established to assist schemes that were considered ‘green premium’ e.g. reduced carbon emissions.

It was recommended that the composition of the Strategic CIL Allocations Panel be the Cabinet Portfolio Holders for Strategic Planning, Finance and Performance Management, Economic Development and Regeneration, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Chairman of the Council and would be supported by the Director – Place and Climate Change, Planning Policy Manager, Chief Finance Officer and Principal CIL Officer.

Members were given the opportunity to ask questions and the following points were noted during the discussions:

•           parish and town councils with a Neighbourhood Plan could apply for 25% of CIL funding collected, those without, 15%;

•           a Neighbourhood Plan would not be required to apply for funding from the Infrastructure Matched Fund;

•           any party meeting the criteria of the scheme could apply for the Climate Emergency Bonus Fund;

•           decisions of the Allocations Panel would be regularly scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and reported to the Audit and Standards Committee; and

•           infrastructure priority requirements would be sought from the parish and town councils.

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee was supportive of the CILSG’s recommendations.     

RESOLVED: That Cabinet be requested to agree and recommend onwards to Full Council, where appropriate, that:

1)         the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy Allocations Panel be established, with a composition of Councillors supported by officers;

2)         strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funds be distributed by the Panel in accordance with the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy Governance and Funding Protocol;

3)         the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy Instalment Policy be maintained (the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy Instalment Policy was considered and compared with those of neighbouring authorities);

4)         a review of the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Scheme be delayed subject to the outcome of the Government’s paused White Paper “Planning for the Future” and further investigation of future infrastructure needs as part of the Local Plan Review;

5)         the Community Infrastructure Levy Steering Group be disbanded; and

6)         it be noted that ‘best practice guidance’ on Community Infrastructure Levy arrangements were to be created by Councillor Dixon, in consultation with Battle Town Council, the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning and Planning Policy Manager.