Decision Details

Implemented

Infrastructure Team Service Improvements and CIL Spending Strategy

ES/0245

No

Committee

Cabinet

Tue 7 Jan 2020

No

Report of the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Coastal Management

To consider Infrastructure Team service improvements and the CIL spending strategy.

Planning & Coastal Management

Not Applicable

Yes

1. That the introduction of the Exacom software be noted and that the staffing resource required to implement the Exacom project and service improvements over a two-year period (as set out at paragraph 2.22) be agreed.

2. That the Draft CIL Spending Strategy and Terms of Reference for the CIL Spending Working Group be agreed, to enable the governance of spending District CIL funds and receive recommendations for the projects to be funded and reported in the annual Infrastructure Funding Statement.

The content of this report and recommendations demonstrate how the recently formed Major Sites and Infrastructure Team has performed on the recommendations for its formation to Full Council in November 2018 to deliver a comprehensive improvement to the way in which the growth and infrastructure needs of the District and its communities can be addressed. The improved management of developer contributions by the Infrastructure arm of the team has already commenced allowing an increasing workload and expanding CIL collection and spend to be efficiently addressed. This will be further improved and maximised through the digital enhancements provided by Exacom, including greater transparency, and additional team resources will allow efficient roll out to meet public and government expectations. The draft CIL spending strategy will ensure that the CIL held and collected over future years will be spent where it is most required in order to deliver infrastructure projects to best support planned growth. This will therefore achieve the sustainable development objectives which underpin our Local Plans.

In respect of the implementation of Exacom:

Do Nothing - This would involve no purchase costs of system, which has already recognised is of limited effect. Staffing savings would be made but additional expense incurred in the long term through unnecessary tasks being performed manually to achieve the same outcomes as Exacom. Also see above section on risks.

Introduce Exacom without any additional staffing resource - This would considerably impact on existing officer time. It would result in a compromised CIL service, poor customer service, lost CIL through possible mistakes and limited resource to undertake recovery of unpaid CIL. Full roll out of CIL would take longer and result in inadequate reporting of CIL collection and spend.

In Respect of the CIL Spending Strategy 

Do Nothing – This would require the previous process to continue, utilising Local Plan Working Group and a case-by-case basis of reviewing bids for CIL. This would be more time consuming and risks CIL being spent on less essential infrastructure and without a full evidence-based picture of infrastructure needs and cost. It may result in a shortfall in CIL to spend on larger future essential projects.

Undertake improvements to the spending strategy but operate on a bid led basis. Therefore, only confirming/ringfencing spend when bids are received. This would fail to demonstrate a good management of CIL funds and would provide less confidence that CIL will enable infrastructure recognised as being required at Local Plan and planning application stages. 

None.

None.