Agenda item
Update on Recommendations of S106 and Community Infrastructure Task Group
- Meeting of Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee, Tuesday 5 September 2017 7.00 pm (Item 6.)
In early 2016 a S106 and Community Infrastructure Task Group was commissioned by the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee. It made its recommendations to the Scrutiny Committee on 12th July 2016. These recommendations, subject to three modifications, were accepted by the Scrutiny Committee. This report sets out progress against the modified recommendations.
Minutes:
The Chair advised that the report before the committee set out the progress made against the recommendations of the Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Task Group, as modified by the committee at its meeting on 12 July 2016. The report presented a Red/Amber/Green assessment: thirteen actions were categorised as green, ten as amber, one as red and one, ‘not applicable. Councillor Tattler (Lead Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skill), Amar Dave (Strategic Director, Regeneration and Environment) and Alice Lester (Head of Planning Transport and Licensing) were present to address the committee’s queries.
The committee discussed the report. A member commented on the lack of clarity around CIL and sought confirmation of the officer lead for this area. Questions were raised regarding the possible uses and restrictions of S106 and CIL spending and clarity was particularly sought regarding paragraph 3.14 of the report. It was queried how the recommendations of the report accorded with the Council’s planning objectives.
Responding to the committee, Alice Lester advised that CIL fell within her remit as Head of Planning. Policy on CIL was developed in discussion with the Lead Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skill and the Strategic Director, Regeneration and Environment, within the context of legislative arrangements. A report would be submitted to the Cabinet in the coming months on this matter. Councillor Tatler confirmed that Neighbourhood CIL had a named officer and that work on Strategic CIL was ongoing with a focus on mitigating the impact of developments and aiding growth. Alice Lester highlighted difficulties of recruiting to positions within the S106/CIL and Planning Policy teams and advised that the positions had been reviewed and re-advertised via professional networks. Councillor Tatler detailed the restrictions around CIL and S106 spending and emphasised that these monies must not be viewed as a way of filling gaps in the revenue budget. Alice Lester further advised that CIL was only meant to be a contribution to the cost of infrastructure and difficult choices would need to be made about how best to direct these funds. It would be important to anticipate areas of future growth to try to improve infrastructure in advance of development and to identify how best to mitigate the impact of current and future growth.
Councillor Stopp reported that the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council had stated that they would be using CIL contributions to fund the building of affordable housing. The Lead Member and Officers present advised that legislation prohibited the spending of CIL on affordable housing. In view of Councillor Stopp’s assertion, Members and Officers were asked to contact their counterparts in Hammersmith and Fulham to clarify if and how CIL contributions were being used to fund affordable housing.
Members subsequently requested that the following be provided to the committee before the next meeting: a briefing paper regarding the monies generated by the Community Infrastructure Levy, expanding on paragraph 3.14 of the report; information on whether the net CIL contribution per dwelling of £8,200 against the delivery of affordable housing represented a net loss or gain with regard to the physical and social infrastructure; and, the current total outstanding sum of CIL funds held by the council, alongside the list approved projects and categories of prioritisation.
RESOLVED:
i) that the report and update provided by Officers and Lead Members be noted.
ii) that Councillor Tatler (Lead Member for Regeneration, Growth, Employment and Skill) provide an update to the committee regarding the outcome of her discussions with her counterpart in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham with respect to the use of CIL contributions to fund affordable housing.
Supporting documents:
- Update on Recommendations of S106 and Community Infrastructure Task Group, item 6. PDF 90 KB
- Appendix 1 - Recommendations RAG Update August 2017, item 6. PDF 132 KB