Agenda item

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is collected from development and used to fund infrastructure necessary to support planned growth set out by the Draft BCP Local Plan. CIL receipts are split into strategic, neighbourhood and administration components. We can only spend CIL once it is received.

Strategic CIL spending governance was agreed by Cabinet in 2021. The Capital Briefing Board (CBB) assesses project bids for strategic CIL and recommends which projects receive spending, subject to following the necessary sign off procedures in accordance with the financial regulations.

Service providers have identified £121.8m infrastructure projects for CIL funding over the next 5 years. This exceeds the projected uncommitted £29.3m Strategic CIL budget and so prioritisation is necessary. This paper asks Cabinet to recommend to Council the priorities for Strategic CIL spend enabling CBB to manage the process.

The preferred approach to prioritisation is set out in Option 2 in the report, to put approximately 80% of Strategic CIL towards large infrastructure projects essential to support local plan growth. The provision of Poole Town Centre flood defences and habitats sites mitigation are critical to enable the Council to grant planning permission. Approximately 20% of CIL remains for discretionary infrastructure projects.

The annual Infrastructure Funding Statement reports all CIL spend.

The Leader of the Council presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix '?' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The Board was advised that the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is collected from development and used to fund infrastructure necessary to support planned growth set out by the Draft BCP Local Plan. CIL receipts are split into strategic, neighbourhood and administration components. We can only spend CIL once it is received.

Strategic CIL spending governance was agreed by Cabinet in 2021. The Capital Briefing Board (CBB) assesses project bids for strategic CIL and recommends which projects receive spending, subject to following the necessary sign off procedures in accordance with the financial regulations.

Service providers have identified £121.8m infrastructure projects for CIL funding over the next 5 years. This exceeds the projected uncommitted £29.3m Strategic CIL budget and so prioritisation is necessary. This paper asks Cabinet to recommend to Council the priorities for Strategic CIL spend enabling CBB to manage the process.

The preferred approach to prioritisation was set out in Option 2 in the report, to put approximately 80% of Strategic CIL towards large infrastructure projects essential to support local plan growth. The provision of Poole Town Centre flood defences and habitats sites mitigation are critical to enable the Council to grant planning permission. Approximately 20% of CIL remains for discretionary infrastructure projects.

The Board asked about how the different options were developed. It was noted that the two main infrastructure issues to be addressed was the Poole Town flood defences and habitat site mitigation. The technical work to draw this up came through with a package, the largest component of this was transport issues. An infrastructure delivery schedule was drawn up in consultation with infrastructure providers and the overall proposals were developed from this. Smaller projects could be agreed through delegated authority and others would need to go through Cabinet and/or Council approval process.

It was noted that there was a significant level of risk identified within the proposals. It was suggested that there should be political oversight in terms of the items outlined. It was noted the priorities changed over time and other, more significant risks were being assessed.

Comments were made that were Broadly supportive of option 2 as set out in the report. However, there were concerns raised around the governance arrangements to support this.

Support was also voiced for option 4 and the Board questioned why option 4 was not given further consideration. It was noted at this stage it was thought more useful to have the additional funding available through the 18 percent discretionary spend at option 2. It was also noted that it was not desirable to allocated funds to phase 2 of the play strategy at present as phase 1 had not been completed and there were potentially other options for funding for this.

RESOLVED That the Board recommended to Cabinet:

1. That the spending priorities for Strategic CIL as set out in Option 2 of the paper over the period 2024/25 to 2029/30 be agreed provided CIL income is as forecast; and
2. That the report be updated annually for Cabinet and Council.

Voting: Unanimous