Agenda item

To seek approval for the governance of BCP Council CIL receipts. The report covers proposed governance for both strategic and neighbourhood portion CIL monies.

The first part of the report sets out the proposed arrangements for the strategic element of CIL (which can be used to fund major infrastructure projects such as strategic transport, school places, flood defences, Dorset Heathlands mitigation and open spaces).

This includes seeking approval to progress the Council’s first Infrastructure Funding Statement, which once published will set out the strategic infrastructure needs across the BCP area, costs and expected delivery timescales. As part of this it is recognised that work needs to start on adopting a new, single CIL Charging Schedule for BCP in order to provide a consistent approach to charging and related collection policy.

The second part of the report focuses on the CIL Neighbourhood Portion, which requires 15% to 25% of CIL to be set aside for local projects. The report highlights that BCP Council inherited different systems for this from the legacy Councils. Moving forward, CIL Neighbourhood Portion in Christchurch is now a matter of transferring the monies to the Town and Parish Councils in accordance with the statutory requirements. However, a decision is also required to transfer the 15% neighbourhood proportion collected in the previously unparished area of Christchurch to Christchurch Town Council and Highcliffe and Walkford Parish Council. A consistent approach is needed in Bournemouth and Poole.

The options for this are to either adopt the system of collecting the Neighbourhood Portion on a ward basis or pooling the monies into a single pot to which any community across Bournemouth and Poole can bid into. The relative merits of both these options are reviewed in the report with the recommendation being to introduce Option 2 as a consistent approach across the Bournemouth and Poole parts of the BCP Council area. 

The Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'E' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet approval was sought for the governance of BCP Council CIL receipts. Cabinet were advised that the report covered proposed governance for both strategic and neighbourhood portion CIL monies.

Cabinet were further advised that the second part of the report focused on the CIL Neighbourhood Portion, which requires 15% to 25% of CIL to be set aside for local projects. Cabinet were informed that the options for this were to either adopt the system of collecting the Neighbourhood Portion on a ward basis or pooling the monies into a single pot. Whilst both options had merits the pooling option seemed to be a fair and equitable way of distributing CIL.

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board outlined the recommendations from the Board which requested the Cabinet agree to the ward-based option whilst recognising the opportunity to pool resources should they wish to. The reasons for the Boards recommendation was that the neighbourhood portion should be used for the communities directly impacted by developments. It was also noted that many areas did not have community groups who could put forward bids for the monies and ward councillors had a good knowledge of their local areas and what was needed.

A Councillor present at the meeting raised issues regarding the distinction between the strategic portion of the CIL and the use for local neighbourhoods and improvements for the whole community which were not necessarily strategic issues. In respect of this it was highlighted that previously money had been used for projects that benefited the wider community rather than the immediate local, in relation to this it was felt that these were strategic and should have been funded from the strategic fund. The Councillor also raised that the strategic fund should be subdivided into two portions when developing the IFS. In addition the Councillor addressing Cabinet suggested that because the Neighbourhood Forums, especially those with Neighbourhood plans, were statutory bodies they should be involved in all aspects of the development of the new policy, and that where they are impacted by developments in surrounding areas they should also be allowed to bid into the second strategic pot. The Portfolio Holder advised that he supported the view that Neighbourhood Forums as statutory planning consultants should be consulted in regards to the selection of projects for the Strategic CIL.

The Cabinet were requested by another Councillor that whatever decision it takes is kept under review and questioned the information provided on the number of schemes supported within each of the legacy Councils and the date that this pertained to. The Portfolio Holder undertook to provide this information.

Further to this Cabinet were also asked to consider a more inclusive panel to consider the distribution of the fund than that which was outlined in the report at paragraph 28. The Portfolio Holder agreed that there was a need for the Panel to be more inclusive.

Cabinet members outlined their support for option 2, noting that neighbourhoods were not necessarily defined by wards and there were areas which were nil rated for CIL who wouldn’t have access to CIL despite developments taking place. It was also felt that there was still a strong role for Ward Councillors.

The Leader requested that there should be some evaluation on what success looked like for use of CIL and its impact on communities.

RECOMMENDED that:-

(a)        the Director for Growth & Infrastructure  be authorised to lead production of the BCP Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) by December 2020. The IFS will outline the allocation of strategic CIL proportionately across the BCP area once published;

(b)        the Director for Growth & Infrastructure  be authorised to commence work on a consolidated BCP Charging Schedule that will replace the legacy charging schedules in due course and will be the subject of full consultation;

(c)        the 15% neighbourhood proportion collected in the previously unparished areas of Christchurch is passed on to Christchurch Town Council and Highcliffe and Walkford Parish Council.

(d)        Option 2 as set out in this report will be introduced and will replace the legacy CIL Neighbourhood Portion arrangements in Bournemouth and Poole on 1^st October 2020. The legacy arrangements will remain in place until they are superseded on 1^st October 2020;

(e)        delegate the set-up arrangements for the BCP CIL Neighbourhood Portion scheme to the Director for Growth & Infrastructure in consultation with the Portfolio Holders for Strategic Planning and Leisure and Communities;

(f)         that a cross party panel be established which includes the Portfolio Holders for Strategic Planning and Leisure and Communities, to consider applications to the CIL Neighbourhood Portion and also has input into the set up arrangements for the BCP CIL Neighbourhood Portion scheme, the infrastructure funding statement and charging schedule; and

(g)        that an automatic review of the CIL Neighbourhood Portion arrangements be scheduled for 12 months following its commencement.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Strategic Planning

(Councillor M Brooke left the Cabinet meeting after this item).