Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Director of Place Management.

This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of the Chair.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is not in place in Stockport, so there have been no funds collected through CIL and consequently no infrastructure projects have been funded through CIL.

We are required to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement each year which sets out information on how money provided by developers is being used to improve infrastructure.  This includes contributions made under a range of different legal/planning mechanisms (and would include CIL if in use). The most recently prepared statement is available in Appendix 1. An updated version is due to be published in the near future.

The Forum is requested to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Emily Brough on 0161 474 4592 or email: emily.brough@stockport.gov.uk

The Chair reported that this item had been placed on the agenda at his request.

The Chair stated that he had been made aware that the Community Infrastructure Levy was a method by which local authorities could levy a charge on developers that could then be used for infrastructure improvements, including those to rights of way. 

It was noted that the Council had previously published a decision notice from December 2014 that it would implement the Community Infrastructure Levy and clarification was requested on whether any further action had been taken to implement this.  In response, it was stated that the planning department had responded to state that Council did not use the Community Infrastructure Levy mechanism but did obtain some funds for work in this area through section 106 contributions such as through the development at the former Woodford Aerodrome and the securing the dedication of routes such as at land off Wilmslow Road, Heald Green.

The following comments were then made/ issues raised:-

·         There was a broader issue in relation to how the Council could use the measures available to it to secure funding for rights of way improvements.

·         It was noted that £8m had been collected in Section 106 monies, and further information was requested on how this was allocated and spent.  In response it was stated that the funding could not be spent until each development was completed which could introduce delays.

·         Some significant improvements had been secured through Section 106 contributions.

·         It was suggested that funding obtained through the Community Infrastructure Levy provided for more flexibility in its allocation to specific schemes.

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services & Deputy Chief Executive be requested to give further consideration to the use of the Community Infrastructure Levy as means of securing improvement to public rights of way.