Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director – Planning and Development

Purpose of report

To seek approval of the Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement 2020/21 for publication and for an accompanying data submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To approve the Infrastructure Funding Statement 20/21 at Appendix 1 for publication by 31 December 2021, subject to any final changes considered to be necessary by the Assistant Director – Planning and Development in consultation with the Lead Member for Planning.

1.2         To authorise the Assistant Director – Planning and Development to publish and submit the associated Infrastructure Funding Statement data as required by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Resolved

(1)           That the Infrastructure Funding Statement 20/21 (Annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for publication by 31 December 2021, 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 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Assistant Director – Planning and Development submitted a report to seek approval of the Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement 2020/21 for publication and for an accompanying data submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Resolved

(1)          That the Infrastructure Funding Statement 20/21 (Annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be approved for publication by 31 December 2021, 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 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Reasons

The publication of an Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) is a statutory requirement that provides 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 2020/21 to DLUHC 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.