Issue - meetings

The Committee is requested a) to note the contents of this report concerning section 106 agreements nearing their expenditure date and to raise any concerns, and b) to note progress with the implementation of CIL.

Mrs Le Vay and Mrs Bayliss presented this report (copy attached to the official minutes).

Mrs Le Vay confirmed that the CIL inspector’s report had been received the previous day approving the draft charging schedule which would now be reported to Cabinet inn January for approval. It was proposed that CIL would be adopted on 1 February 2016. She also confirmed that outstanding contributions in respect of the Land north of Chaucer Drive development in West Wittering had been received. With respect to the Public Art contribution from Osbourne House, Stockbridge Road additional funds had now been received and Purchase Order Raised and this money should be spent by Christmas.

With the Chairman’s agreement Mr Oakley addressed the committee, expressing his concern regarding the return of £25,000 to a developer in respect of the provision of a bus shelter at Farr’s Field, ongoing since 2008 but not finalised. He questioned the sense of accountability between the three tiers of Government, with WSCC sitting on large sums of money which the Council, as planning authority, had authorised the spend. Miss Le Vay confirmed that CIL has governance structures and an Infrastructure Liaison Group where WSCC and ourselves would be working together. The S106 process in respect of bus shelters will no longer arise as the sysem is no longer in place and this is very much a one of occurrence. With regard to this returned sum, Mrs Peyman had written to the developer to ask whether we could use the monies for maintenance of bus shelters in the district but the developer had declined.

Mr Oakley also raised the Boxgrove contributions at Halnaker which expired in August 2016 saying that the Parish Council were currently looking to utilise these funds on their play area but no further information had been forthcoming with respect to progress.. Miss Le Vay advised that this spend was tied with Windmill Park agreement. Mrs Tull suggested that we write to Boxgrove Parish Council to get an update on this.

Mr Barrett was concerned regarding a recent receipt in West Wittering and how it was to be allocated. Mr Hyland confirmed that he had previously met with representatives of the Catholic Church and West Wittering PC to discuss potential improvements for the church owned Hall nearest the development. It is the nature of these types of opportunities that groups and organisations need to make decisions between limiting their improvements to the sums available, or make more significant improvements using their own resources and other funding.  Inevitably, this does mean that monies are quickly “allocated” to projects but often not spent for several years, as projects progress.

RESOLVED

That the contents of this report concerning S106 agreements nearing their expenditure date (as set out in Appendix 1) be noted.