Purpose

To confirm the Council’s updated
approach to the strategic allocation and use of CIL, ensuring
decisions remain evidence?based, aligned with strategic priorities,
and responsive to planning reform and Local Government
Reorganisation.

Decision

The Cabinet has
 
(1) 
noted the paper and the alignment of the approach with the existing
CIL Governance arrangement;
 
(2) 
agreed the approach to the Strategic Allocation of CIL funds as set
out in the submitted report forms the Strategic Priority Programme
to be delivered as part of the next stage of CIL Governance
(approved in 2024);
 
(3) 
agreed the suggested approach in respect of use and assignment of
CIL funding, or ‘forward funding’ towards projects
which form part of the Councils wider Capital Programme, where
those projects would align with the adopted CIL Governance;
 
(4) 
agreed to retain a minimum level of CIL funding of £3-5m, in
order to maintain a level of funding available to support future
funding rounds;
 
(5) 
noted that the use of CIL funds does not preclude the Council from
utilising other funding approaches for future projects should this
be required in future; in all cases, this would be subject to
detailed assessment at the relevant time;
 
(6) 
delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Place) and the
Corporate Director (Finance and Resources and Section 151 Officer)
in consultation with the Leader, Executive Councillor for Finance,
and Executive Councillor for Planning to determine the level of
allocation of CIL funding to be awarded towards projects which form
part of the Councils agreed Capital Programme, based on the
principles set out in the submitted report; and
 
(7) 
delegated authority to the Corporate Director (Finance and
Resources and Section 151 Officer) to undertake all necessary
actions to ensure that appropriate governance and financial
reconciliation measures are in place.

Reasons for the decision

The proposals within the paper represent Stage
2 of the CIL Governance proposals which were approved in June
2024.
 
The proposals respond to the changing
landscape created by planning reform, and LGR; and seek to propose
an approach which continues to align with the core principles of
the CIL Governance that has been approved.
 
The Strategic Approach seeks to establish a
programme-led, evidence-led process for funding projects at scale
and creation of a pipeline; and would also allow scope for
‘forward funding’ of infrastructure, and other
solutions to funding approaches.
 
The use of CIL for projects in the Councils
Capital Programme represents an agile, responsive and responsible
approach to the application of CIL funds towards projects which
would benefit the District and the best use of money that is
available to the Council to support the District. The approach
would allow scope for the use of Council funds (including CIL) to
be looked at in the most appropriate way, to ensure best use of
public funds; and would also allow different solutions to be found,
including forward funding.
 
The proposals would not change mechanism in
collecting CIL; in the distribution of the meaningful proportion of
CIL to Towns and Parishes; nor interfere or undermine the continued
approach to supporting Parishes and Stakeholders delivering their
infrastructure ambitions to support growth through bids to the
strategic CIL ‘pot’. Smaller projects (under
£100k requests) can also continue to come forward and be
determined quickly.
 
For the reasons set out throughout the report,
the proposals and recommendations seek to provide a solution for
the coming 2 years, during the transition connected with LGR, to
the strategic allocation of CIL and the distribution of CIL towards
projects which will benefit the District through the Councils
Capital Programme

Alternative options considered

As outlined within the report.