Agenda item

The Head of Regulatory Services to submit a report presenting the findings of the Revised Local Plan and CIL Viability Study (May 2017) and the implications of the Independent Panel’s CIL Review (February 2017), and seeking agreement to pursue the establishment of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for the Borough.

The Chairman of the Melton Local Plan Working Group, Councillor Chandler presented the report prepared by the Head of Regulatory Services the purpose of which was to present the findings of the Revised Local Plan and CIL Viability Study (May 2017) and the implications of the Independent Panel’s CIL Review (February 2017), and to seek authority to accept two documents as evidence to inform the formulation of the Local Plan, and to seek the Council’s agreement to pursue the establishment of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for the Borough, including authorisation of an initial consultation on the Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule.

Councillor Chandler advised Members

•           the report invited the Council to launch the CIL consultation alongside the Local Plan.  This was regarded as good practice as CIL was intended to support the essential infrastructure for which the Local Plan identified a need.  This was closely related to the previous item on affordable housing and relied on the same approach to assessing viability across the value areas.  However, the CIL paper went further and sought to identify what headroom was available for CIL over and above the Affordable Housing percentages that had been discussed;

•           that this closely followed the ‘value areas’ and that what was known as a ‘schedule 123 list’ had been developed, reflecting policies in the Plan regarding priorities for infrastructure.  Also included was a ‘preliminary charging schedule’ which set out what the Council believed was achievable across the value areas depending on different types of development;

•           an unusual quirk appeared in this because CIL was universal and applied to development of all scales.  This included smaller housing schemes of under 11 units which offered a healthy prospect because, due to other legislation, they were not making a contribution to affordable housing;

•           the report set out a timetable for the development of the CIL related to the anticipated Local Plan programme to Examination and after.  Accordingly the recommendations proposed the launch of the CIL alongside the Plan based on the documents and appendices to the report.

Councillor Chandler accordingly moved the two recommendations contained in the report.  This was seconded by Councillor Illingworth.

The Deputy Leader made a number of points regarding CIL:

•           the CIL empowered ward Councillors in dialogue with developers

•           in community neighbourhood areas up to 25% of CIL could be levied on each house built.  Parish Councils were then accountable for how this was spent;

•           it was vital that during the consultation, the Council heard from residents and community groups as to their needs as development would provide funding for infrastructure and amenities in their communities.

As seconder of the motion, Councillor Illingworth clarified that all Parish Council’s received 15% of CIL but if a neighbourhood plan was in place, they received the enhanced rate of 25%.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  consultation be held in July and August 2017 on the Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule (timetable at section 11 of the report and Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule at Appendix A refers);

(2)  the Revised Local Plan & Community Infrastructure Levy Viability Study (May 2017) and Infrastructure Delivery Plan (March 2017) be agreed  as adopted evidence for the formulation of the Local Plan and to inform other planning decisions, and that they be published alongside a proposed Addendum of Focussed Changes.