Cabinet Member for Planning
Minutes:
7.1 The Chair invited Councillor Arthey to introduce paper BC/22/19.
7.2 Councillor Arthey detailed the purpose of the report and PROPOSED the recommendations contained in the report, which were SECONDED by Councillor Parker.
7.3 Councillor Maybury asked if galleries were able to apply for CIL funding, Councillor Arthey suggested that it should be explored as part of the next review.
7.4 Councillor Maybury also asked if funding restrictions for cycling and footpaths could be included in the next review, Christine Thurlow – Professional Lead Key Sites and Infrastructure stated that a pilot was ongoing to investigate LCWIP schemes and identify what was needed to develop those schemes and hopefully use CIL monies to attract match funding in order to bring those forward.
7.5 Councillor Maybury enquired if it was realistic to expect quotations for works and materials to be correct after 4 months as stated in the report. Councillor Arthey stated that the CIL team continued to be flexible in allowing bids to be revised and encourage groups who are bidding for CIL funding to be ready when they are awarded the funding so that quotes are as up to date as possible.
7.6 Councillor Lindsay asked if there was flexibility on the rule of only providing funding for spade ready projects. Councillor Arthey replied that the purpose of reviewing the CIL funding was to review what projects would benefit most.
7.7 Councillor Holt asked for assurance that there were processes in place to enable decisions to be made quickly to deal with fixed price quotations. Councillor Arthey stated that funding under £10,000 was able to be given under delegated decision, but larger funding amounts do take longer because of the administrative work needed to present them to Cabinet for approval.
7.8 Councillor Maybury asked if there had been any tightening in procedures regarding collecting CIL monies from developers and if it could be confirmed that the Council were debt controllers for CIL collection monies. Councillor Arthey confirmed that there was a CIL debt recovery officer in post who had been successful in recovering CIL monies from developers recently.
7.9 Councillor McCraw and Councillor Beer praised the success of the CIL programme and gave thanks to Christine Thurlow and her team for their work, Councillor Arthey also thanked the Councillors on the Joint Member Panel.
By a vote of 25 votes for.
It was RESOLVED:
1.1 That Babergh Council approve the amendments to the CIL Expenditure Framework– July 2022 (arising from the fourth review) - (Appendix A) and the CIL Expenditure Framework Communications Strategy – July 2022 (Appendix B).(Appendix C comprises the yearly Key CIL Dates Calendar which is produced under delegated powers (to the Assistant Director of Planning and Building Control in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Planning and the Cabinet Members for Communities) each year (as part of the outcomes of the first review of the CIL Expenditure Framework.) Appendix C (Key CIL dates for 2022/23) together with Appendices E and F (which comprise the current annual Babergh and Mid Suffolk Infrastructure Funding Statements - Infrastructure List) accompany the CIL Expenditure Framework and the Communications Strategy and are for reference purposes only).
1.2 That Babergh Council agree that the CIL Expenditure Framework and the CIL Expenditure Framework Communications Strategy be reviewed again (over Winter2022/Spring2023) and whilst Bid round 10 is being considered (from October 2022 onwards) so that any amended scheme can be in place before Bid round 11 occurs (May 2023).
1.3 That Babergh Council agree that the Joint Member Panel be retained to inform this (fifth) review.
Supporting documents: