Issue - items at meetings - S106 Annual update

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

To provide Members of the Baldock and District Committee with the annual update on the details of progress made on all Section 106 Obligations within the Baldock and District Committee area during the financial year 2019/20.

RESOLVED:

(1) That the content of the report entitled Annual Update on S106 Obligations for the Baldock and District Committee be noted;

(2) That a report shall continue to be presented on Section 106 contributions to the Baldock Committee on an annual basis;

(3) That, other than where a contribution has been negotiated for a specific purpose or project, Ward Members of the area where the Section 106 Obligation or Unilateral Undertaking funding is generated, and the Area Committee be consulted prior to funding being allocated away from that area;

(4) That the Development and Conservation Manager be requested to circulate figures regarding villages to all Members of the Committee.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

(1) To ensure that there is a robust system for negotiating and managing Section 106 Obligations and Unilateral Undertakings, that records activity for each financial year and is placed in the public domain.

(2) To ensure that the process is kept under constant review and Member scrutiny and that the risk associated with this activity is managed in an appropriate manner.

Audio recording – 1 hour 54 minutes 20 seconds

The Committee, Member and Scrutiny Manager undertook a roll call to ensure Members and Officers could hear and be heard.

The Development and Conservation Manager presented the report entitled Annual Update on S106 Obligations for Hitchin Committee together with the following appendix:

· Appendix 1 - Current held funds for Baldock.

He drew attention to the following:

· It had been hoped that there would be more to report, this was due to the examination of the Local Plan having been delayed due to the Covid.19 Pandemic.

· New dates for these hearings had not yet been set and this had an impact on the presentation of the SPDs.

· The Developer Contributions SPD had been presented to Cabinet in July and was approved, subject to the Local Plan being adopted;

· A report regarding whether the Council would adopt CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) would be considered by Cabinet in December;

· Paragraph 4.2 detailed a new requirement to administer and report to central Government being an audit of all Section 106 activity;

· Paragraph 8.4.5 detailed the funds Section 106 discretionary funds remaining.

The following Members asked questions and took part in the debate:

· Councillor Steve Jarvis;

· Councillor Tom Tyson;

· Councillor Michael Weeks.

In response to questions the Development and Conservation Manager advised:

· That monies allocated for Public Realm had to be spent on permanent infrastructure;

· S106 monies was only collected in respect of developments of more than 10 dwellings;

· Forms were developed in 2019 that enabled comment from parishes on any application for funding;

· Ward Members were able to bring projects to the attention of the S106 officer and the Community Team were regularly consulted;

· Paragraph 8.14 highlighted the proposed White Paper which would include the intention to introduce National CIL rates.

Members requested that the figures relating to villages be circulated to Members.