The Scrutiny Commission meeting on 9th December 2024 included the planned consideration of reports on proposed changes to car park fees in Loughborough, a review of the progress of existing scrutiny panels, a discussion of the planned work programme for the commission and a review of the work programme of the Finance and Performance Scrutiny Committee. It also included planned pre-decision scrutiny of two reports from the Cabinet: one concerning a new scheme for charging developers for the infrastructure that their developments necessitate, and one on the car park fees.

Proposed changes to car park fees

The Scrutiny Commission was scheduled to consider the Car Parking Fees report, a report by the Cabinet on proposed changes to the fees at council car parks in Loughborough.

The report is a response to feedback that the council received during a public consultation on a set of proposed changes to car parking fees at all of the council's car parks in Loughborough: Beehive Lane, Browns Lane, Granby Street, Southfield Road Extension, and Southfield Offices.

The consultation proposed extending the times when fees are payable in all of the car parks to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and standardising the fees.

The council's Car Parking Fees report recommends introducing a modified version of the proposals that were put to consultation. This modified version is designed to address issues raised during the consultation.

The main modifications are:

• A concession rate for parking between 6pm and 6am the next day in all car parks except Browns Lane, where the standard 24 hour rate applies.
• A 50% reduction in parking charges between 6am and 6pm on Sundays in all car parks except Browns Lane, where the standard 24 hour rate applies.
• Retaining existing daytime charges for leisure users at the Browns Lane leisure centre, but extending charging hours to cover evenings, Sundays and bank holidays.

The report notes that:

The changes to the proposed fees as advertised fall within this guidance.

The report estimates that the modifications will reduce the projected additional income from the car parks by 25%, from £180,000 to £135,000.

It was also proposed that the council approve the changes and delegate to officers the implementation of the new fees, which is expected to happen at the start of February 2025.

Local Development Scheme

The Scrutiny Commission was scheduled to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of the Charnwood Local Development Scheme December 2024 report, a Cabinet report about the adoption of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)¹ and a plan for producing planning documents.

The report recommends that the council prepare a CIL charging schedule and approve a Local Development Scheme (LDS), which will set out the timetable for the preparation of planning documents over the next three years.

Background

The Charnwood Local Development Scheme December 2024 report describes how Leicestershire County Council (LCC) sought to implement a Transport Contributions Strategy (TCS) document that would allow them to collect contributions from developers to help fund strategic transport infrastructure projects in the borough.

The report explains that:

As part of the consultation a legal opinion was submitted to the County Council by Paul Tucker KC² opining that the draft TCS was unlawful and such an approach can only be taken forward as a Development Plan Document (DPD) or a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

The report notes that both Charnwood Borough Council and the Planning Inspectorate agree with this legal opinion.

It explains that LCC have withdrawn the TCS and are supporting Charnwood Borough Council's plan to prepare a CIL instead.

Community Infrastructure Levy

The report explains that the council could collect the CIL for all types of infrastructure, or only for strategic transport infrastructure, with other types of infrastructure being funded through Section 106 planning obligations.

It proposes the following timetable for the preparation of a CIL:

• January 2025 - May 2025: Preparation of evidence.
• May 2025 - June 2025: Consultation on a draft CIL charging schedule.
• July 2025: Submission of the draft charging schedule to an independent examiner, taking into account responses to the consultation.
• August 2025 - October 2025: Examination of the charging schedule by the independent examiner.
• November 2025: Publication of the examiner's report.
• December 2025: Adoption of the charging schedule.

Local Development Scheme

The report also sets out a proposed three-year timetable for preparing the following documents:

• Local Plan:
  • April 2025: Resumption of the examination hearings.
  • May 2025: Consultation on Main Modifications.
  • June 2025: Publication of the Inspector's Report.
  • September 2025: Adoption of the Local Plan.
• Housing SPD:
  • Winter 2024 - Autumn 2025: Initial drafting and targeted consultation.
  • Autumn 2025: Public consultation.
  • Early 2026: Adoption.
• Biodiversity SPD:
  • Winter 2024 - Summer 2025: Initial drafting.
  • Winter 2025: Public consultation.
  • Spring/Summer 2026: Adoption.
• Planning Obligations SPD:
  • Winter 2024 - Summer 2025: Initial drafting.
  • Winter 2025: Public consultation.
  • Spring 2026: Adoption.
• Design Code:
  • February 2025: Initial Consultation
  • Summer 2025: Preparation of Code.
  • Autumn 2025: Consultation.
  • Spring 2026: Adoption.

Scrutiny Panels

A report on the progression of scrutiny panels was scheduled to be considered. It included the following updates on existing scrutiny panels:

• The Budget Scrutiny Panel was due to meet for the second time on 10th December 2024.
• The Flooding Scrutiny Panel met on 12th November 2024 and is due to meet again on 14th January 2025.
• The Housing Needs Scrutiny Panel was due to meet again on 3rd December 2024.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The Scrutiny Commission was scheduled to review and make any amendments they considered necessary to the Finance and Performance Scrutiny Committee Work Programme. The report also requested that the Commission agree the updated Finance and Performance Scrutiny Committee Work Programme.

The only change that was scheduled to be made was the removal of the Car Parking Strategy Update from the June 2025 meeting of the Finance and Performance Scrutiny Committee and its addition to the June 2025 meeting of the Scrutiny Commission. This is because the Scrutiny Commission had already undertaken some scrutiny work on this topic.

Scrutiny Commission Work Programme

The Commission was also scheduled to review and agree their own Work Programme.

The Work Programme included a number of items that are related to the Commission's roles in overseeing the scrutiny function, including:

• Scrutiny Panels
• Scrutiny Work Programme
• Budget Scrutiny Panel Report

It also included a number of items that are related to the Commission's role in undertaking pre-decision scrutiny of Cabinet reports, including:

• Pre-decision scrutiny of any specific financial matters to be considered by Cabinet
• Cabinet items for pre-decision scrutiny
• Pre-decision scrutiny - Cabinet Response

At their last meeting, the Commission added the following items to the Work Programme:

• Car Parks Strategy Update (June 2025).
• Pre-decision scrutiny of the HRA Business Plan Update (date to be confirmed).

The meeting also included the planned consideration of the Commission's responses to the Cabinet's response to their comments on two topics that had been subject to pre-decision scrutiny: the Enterprise Zone Update, and an exempt item relating to the disposal and sale of 57 Bottleacre Lane, Loughborough.