Purpose

To seek a recommendation to Full Council that it approve the Fareham Borough Council Community Infrastructure (CIL) Charging Schedule.

The Council has recently concluded an examination process of the Fareham Borough Council Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule.  This involved consultation and an examination by an independent Examiner.  This charging schedule is intended to replace the current adopted schedule.

The Examiner recommended that the Council make two modifications to the Charging Schedule following the examination.  The first, a relatively minor wording change regarding older people development to assist with clarity.  The second modification was that a £0 per square metre rate should be applied to the Land South of Longfield Avenue (Housing Allocation 55 – HA55).

It is recommended that the minor wording change is made to the charging schedule.  However, for reasons set out in this report it is recommended that the Council does not accept the Examiner’s recommended modification to apply £0 per square metre for HA55.  The Council has considered the reasoning for the Examiner’s recommendation and following the completion of additional evidence assessment and further consultation, it is recommended that Council approve the Charging Schedule in Appendix A with an additional separate CIL rate of £166 per square metre applicable to residential development within HA55 and the same change for retail and retirement living as for the rest of the Borough.

This report, together with appendices constitute the Council’s report in accordance with section 213(3B) of the Planning Act 2008 setting out how the charging schedule remedies the non-compliance specified by the Examiner under section 212A(4)(a) of the Planning Act 2008.

Approval of the Charging Schedule requires a decision of Council. The Executive Briefing Paper sets out the CIL Examiner’s findings and the subsequent actions taken by the Council.  It concludes with a draft Charging Schedule, set out in Appendix A, which the Executive is recommended to ask Council to approve.

Decision

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  notes the process and approach taken towards preparing the Charging Schedule including the further focused consultation on the proposed rate for HA55 Land South of Longfield Avenue;

(b)  recommends to Council that the Community Infrastructure Levy Draft Charging Schedule, as set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved; and

(c)  agrees that the proposed Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule will be implemented with effect from 01 May 2024.