Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director for Regeneration and Environment

Recommendations

1.    That Cabinet approves the protocol for prioritising and approving the spend of Strategic CIL funds.

2.    That Cabinet approves the ward-based approach to the spend of Local CIL arising from development in non-parished areas.

Consideration was given to the report which sought approval for a protocol to allocate Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) income to priority infrastructure schemes at a strategic level across the Borough. Approval was also sought for a Ward-based approach to the spend of Local CIL arising from development in non-parished areas.

The CIL came into force in Rotherham on 3rd July, 2017, and was applied to new developments to raise funds for local infrastructure. 80% of the CIL income from a development was for infrastructure set out in the Infrastructure Funding Statement; 15% was for parishes to spend on local infrastructure priorities and the remaining 5% was to cover administrative costs. The 15% for Parish Councils could be increased to 25% for parishes with an adopted Neighbourhood Plan. It was proposed that the 15% of Local CIL income the Council had collected from developments in non-parished areas, around £120,000, be devolved to the Ward in which the development took place and administered by the Neighbourhoods Team following consideration by the Ward Councillors.

The report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-decision scrutiny process. The Board was fully supportive of the recommendations but asked that further consideration be given to how all Elected Members could be consulted and engaged with regarding the allocation and prioritisation of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funds in their Ward. OSMB also requested that a Member Seminar be held on the CIL and Section 106 agreements.

The Cabinet Member confirmed that she was happy to accept those recommendations.

Resolved:

1.    That the protocol for prioritising and approving the spend of Strategic CIL funds be approved.

2.    That the Ward-based approach to the spend of Local CIL arising from developments in non-parished areas be approved.

3.    That further consideration be given to how all Elected Members can be consulted and engaged with regarding the allocation and prioritisation of Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy funds in their Wards.

4.    That an all-Member seminar be delivered in order to provide Members with information on the Community Infrastructure Levy, Section 106 agreements and on the new processes and protocols for the spending of both Strategic and Local Community Infrastructure Levy funds.