Issue - items at meetings - Annual update on S106 Obligations

REPORT OF THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION MANAGER

To provide an annual update to the Baldock and District Committee of all S106 activity throughout the last financial year to date.

RESOLVED:

(1) That the content of the report entitled Annual Update on S106 Obligations for Baldock and District 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 S106 Monitoring and Transport Officer be requested to investigate specific fund allocation in regard to parking issues in Baldock;

(4) 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.

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION:

(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 – Start of Item – 58 Minutes 36 Seconds

The Development and Conservation Manager presented his report entitled Annual Update on S106 Obligations for Baldock Committee and provided the following information:

· Unlike previous reports the format of information presented had been altered to more accurately reflect the diminishing role of discretionary Section 106 funds and the associated tables reflected that change of emphasis;

· Table 1 and 1a set out the details of all new Section 106 Obligations during the financial year 2018/19;

· Table 2 set out details of all payments allocated in Baldock from retained funds during the financial year 2018/19; and

· Table 3 and 3a set out details of remaining unallocated funds.

The Development and Conservation Manager drew the Members attention to the Sustainable Transport unallocated funds, specifically £15,913.32 in Ashwell. He informed that a new Transport Officer had recently been appointed at NHDC who would be looking closely at ways in which sustainable contributions element of the discretionary funding could be spent particularly within the smaller villages. The Transport Officer would co-ordinate meetings with Hertfordshire County Council

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

Councillor Steve Jarvis

Councillor Michael Muir

Councillor Tom Tyson

Councillor Michael Weeks

· The Development and Conservation Manager confirmed that there was a requirement to identify a project for funding in a Section 106 Agreement at the time the planning application was submitted.

· Parish Councils were asked to comment on planning applications as they were required to consider the projects they felt should be included in a Section 106 Agreement.