Issue - meetings

** Please note this report will follow as it is currently being reviewed and finalised **

Report of Assistant Director Planning and Development

Resolved

(1)           That the Infrastructure Funding Statement 2019/20 (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for publication by 31 December 2020, subject to any final changes considered to be necessary by the Assistant Director – Planning and Development in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning.

(2)           That the Assistant Director – Planning and Development be authorised to publish and submit the associated Infrastructure Funding Statement data as required by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Assistant Director Planning and Development submitted a report to seek approval of the Council’s first Infrastructure Funding Statement 2019/20 for publication and for an accompanying data submission to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

On behalf of Executive, the Chairman thanked the Principal Planning Officer for her hard work in putting together all of the information. The Chairman commented that  it was good discipline to have to complete and submit such a Statement and explained that this would now need to be completed annually.

In response to Members’ questions, the Lead member for Planning, Councillor Clarke, explained that the requirement to produce an Infrastructure Funding Statement applied to planning authorities, so district and county councils rather than town and parish councils. The Lead Member for Planning confirmed that the Infrastructure Funding Statement would be published on the council’s website and parishes notified. It was however important to note that the Statement was a snapshot and the figures moved on a frequent basis.

Resolved

(1)           That the Infrastructure Funding Statement 2019/20 (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for publication by 31 December 2020, subject to any final changes considered to be necessary by the Assistant Director – Planning and Development in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning.

(2)           That the Assistant Director – Planning and Development be authorised to publish and submit the associated Infrastructure Funding Statement data as required by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Reasons

The publication of an Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) is a new statutory requirement that will increase the transparency and accessibility of information about s.106 developer contributions required for the grant of planning permission. The proposed IFS encapsulates the data that officers propose to publish and submit for 2019/20 to MHCLG to meet that requirement.  The information is considered to be the most robust available at this time.  Officers will prepare a statement annually and continue to develop monitoring systems on an on-going basis.

Alternative options

Option 1: Not to bring forward an Infrastructure Funding Statement

This is not a lawful option as it would mean that the Council would be in breach of its statutory duty

Option 2: Seek review of the key statistics and proposed Infrastructure Funding Statement.

Officers consider that this is not required as the information is the most robust available at this time.