Agenda item

Report from the Executive Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendation:

That Cabinet approves the allocation of Strategic CIL funds to the Whiston Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme (£3,000,000).

Consideration was given to the report which summarised the application process for Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (Strategic CIL) funding that had taken place for the 2025 bidding round. It provided the outcome of the Strategic CIL officer panel assessment of the submitted projects against relevant criteria, to determine the infrastructure that would most support new growth areas and help bring forward development sites to implement the Local Plan.

The Council had a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in place for Rotherham, to secure contributions from developers towards infrastructure to support development. CIL payments were required alongside planning permission for certain types of development and work in tandem with payments negotiated as section 106 planning obligations. The CIL Regulations allowed the Council to apply CIL to reimburse expenditure already incurred on infrastructure. Where the Council had borrowed money for the purposes of funding infrastructure, it could apply CIL to repay that money, and any interest, if certain conditions were met.

The assessment methodology for Strategic CIL applications was approved by Cabinet in July 2024. The assessment covered key areas for project suitability, in summary:

·       Part 1 set out a series of “gateway tests” that were aimed at ensuring that projects were eligible and suitable for Strategic CIL funding, including whether the project was identified in the Infrastructure Delivery Study.

·       Part 2 required information about the nature and timing of the project.

·       Part 3 addressed potential deliverability concerns.

·       Part 4 reflected important funding and financial issues.

·       Part 5 provided an important link between the infrastructure project and new development, examining the links to allocated sites in the Local Plan and the need for the infrastructure.

·       Part 6 enabled an assessment of the benefits of the infrastructure project against the Strategic CIL objectives, including its contribution to Social Value.

The applications for the 2025 bidding round had been assessed by the CIL officer panel, using the Cabinet-approved methodology. Of the eleven applications, five projects passed the gateway tests but only one scored above the 70% threshold that was also applied for the 2024 bidding round. A list of priority projects was presented in the report, and Cabinet approval was sought for the Strategic CIL funds to be allocated as recommended to the Whiston Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme. The allocation proposed was £3million. This bid passed the gateway tests, the project was critical infrastructure; detailed costings were provided; permissions and land acquisitions were in place or in progress; project delivery was in 2026, with future maintenance funded; the project could not happen without CIL funding; the project would protect Whiston village properties and facilitate two large Local Plan housing sites; the project benefits aligned with CIL protocol objectives. It’s score was 71.43%.

The Projects Scoring Summary was attached at Appendix 1. The percentage figure in the final column represented the total score against the criteria and methodology as approved by Cabinet on 29th July 2024. A summary was provided in paragraph 2.7 of the report.

The report was considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board who advised that the recommendations be supported. Councillor Steele wished to place on record his thanks to the service for the quality of the report provided on this matter.

The Leader asked that future reports include updates on the delivery of CIL funded projects.

Resolved:

1.    That Cabinet approves the allocation of Strategic CIL funds to the Whiston Brook Flood Alleviation Scheme (£3,000,000).