Purpose

Wiltshire Council forms part of the Solent
protected sites catchment– due to part of the authority
falling within the River Test catchment. The Council has
it’s own strategic project
through
Roundbarrow Nature Reserve and this has ensured that
development in Wiltshire has a strategic mitigation project that
can be used to counterbalance mitigation requirements and ensure
development can be nutrient
neutral. This has enabled planning applications for overnight
accommodation to proceed in this part of Wiltshire. 
 
Wiltshire Council has previously had a silent
partner role with respect to the wider work being progressed by the
Solent authorities but is becoming more involved as the Partnership
for South Hampshire has been awarded a grant in the Local Nutrient
Mitigation Fund Round 2. We intend to sell surplus nutrient credits
from Roundbarrow Nature Reserve to
other local planning authorities in the River Test catchment, and
this inter-authority agreement will allow the Council to sell to
development in other local planning authorities without the need
for multiple separate legal agreements with each local authority.
There is also an opportunity for land purchase in this catchment
that is being explored and could benefit from a financial
contribution to purchase via the Partnership for South
Hampshire’s Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund Round 2 grant.
 
The purpose of this report is to
 
             
i.       
AGREE that the Corporate Director of Place is delegated to sign the
proposed Inter-Authority Agreement, including any minor amendments,
in consultation with the Council’s S151 Officer and the
Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic
Planning. 
 
            
ii.       
AGREE thatthe Corporate Director of Place is delegated to agree the
Council as a Benefiting Authority for projects delivered through
the Inter-Authority Agreement in consultation with the
Council’s S151 Officer and the Cabinet Member for Finance,
Development Management and Strategic Planning. 
 

Content

I approve the delegations set out in this
decision and report.
 
This decision was published and will come into
effect on 4 December 2024.

Reasons for the decision

To allow the
Council:
 

·        
To sell surplus nitrogen credits from the Roundbarrow Nature Reserve Strategic Mitigation
scheme to development in local authorities part of the Partnership of South
Hampshire

·        
To further consider the purchase of land that may benefit from the
Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund Round 2 grant awarded to the
Partnership of South Hampshire and meet wider environmental and
community benefits.
 

Alternative options considered

Early discussions with
separate local planning authorities to progress separate section
106 and section 33 agreements have been progressed, but this
alternative Inter-Authority Agreement presents an alternative
streamlined option for Wiltshire Council.