Issue - meetings

REPORT OF THE PLANNING CONTROL AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

To provide the Southern Rural Committee with an annual update on S106 Obligations in their area.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Committee note the content of the report.

(2)       That the Committee agree that a report shall continue to be presented on an annual basis to the Area Committee, which sets out full records of all Section 106 activity for the preceding financial year and which reflects changes in legislation and practice.

(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. Members must note that the discretionary funds are rapidly diminishing and will not be replaced under current legislation and practice, for reasons that are set out in this report.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(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: 1:34:47

The Development and Planning Manager presented the report entitled Section 106 Annual Update 2020/2021 along with Appendices 1-5. He drew attention to the following:

·         The Planning team have been producing an infrastructure funding statement, in line with government requirements to produce an annual statement of everything that happens in relation to infrastructure funding in Section 106 to be published in December 2021

·         in March 2021 Cabinet decided not to not to invest in producing a Community Infrastructure Levy in line with officers advice that we needed to use the spare funds we had in Planning to fund what we was described as the master planning project for the major strategic sites that will be delivered upon the adoption of the local plan;

·         There were very few new agreements in the Southern Rural area that were being reached in development, as they only apply to schemes of more than 10 dwellings;

·         One agreement with Odyssey Health Club had delivered significant funds for the NHS and public spaces;

·         Members would see fewer small 106 Agreements made in future, with those that were reached being larger and more targeted;

·         In future the report would present a more in the round view of the Section 106 agreements and Unilateral Undertakings.

On the vote it was:

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Committee note the content of the report.

(2)       That the Committee agree that a report shall continue to be presented on an annual basis to the Area Committee, which sets out full records of all Section 106 activity for the preceding financial year and which reflects changes in legislation and practice.

(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. Members must note that the discretionary funds are rapidly diminishing and will not be replaced under current legislation and practice, for reasons that are set out in this report.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

(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.