Issue - meetings

Cllr Fleur de Rhé-Philipe, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning presented a report on the Wiltshire Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) together with the consultant’s report. The report proposed a Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule which set out proposed rates of CIL to be charged on different types of development in Wiltshire for the purposes of consultation.

The Wiltshire CIL Charging Schedule, when adopted, would enable the Council to continue pooling contributions from new development across the County to offset a proportion of the costs of delivering local and strategic infrastructure. From April 2014 (or following the implementation of Wiltshire’s CIL), the Council would be severely limited in its ability to use the existing mechanism of pooling contributions i.e. planning obligations (generally referred to as Section 106 agreements). The use of Section 106 agreements would largely be limited to securing site-specific infrastructure and affordable housing.

The outcome of consultation and any proposed changes to the proposed Charging Schedule would be reported back to Cabinet. This would then be followed by a final round of public consultation before its submission for independent examination.

Cllr Fleur de Rhé-Philipe explained that it was proposed to have a flat rate charge across the County rather than having local variations.

Cllr Jon Hubbard explained that the Environment Select Committee was working with the Service Director for Economy and Regeneration and his team and thanked him for their assistance. A Task Group was being established to look into this area in more detail. The Leader was pleased that Scrutiny was considering the consultant’s report.

The options considered in drawing up the proposals were detailed in the report presented.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

a)            approves the CIL Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule at Appendix 1 as the basis for a six week period of public consultation, as proposed, in accordance with the Council’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement and

b)           authorises the Service Director for Economy and Regeneration, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning, to produce the consultation documentation to accompany the CIL Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule.

Reason for Decision:

To ensure that progress is made on preparing a CIL Charging Schedule that will enable the Council to charge CIL on new development to help pay for infrastructure within the county in accordance with the timetable set out in the recently approved Council’s Local Development Scheme. The Council should be in a position to adopt the CIL Charging Schedule prior to April 2014, after which the Council will be severely restricted in its ability to pool infrastructure contributions from new development through the existing mechanism of Section 106 agreements.