Issue - meetings

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its appendix and to make the following resolution:

That a section 106 monitoring fee as set out in the schedule in the appendix to the agenda report be introduced and the future annual review of those fees be delegated to the Head of Planning Services.

RESOLVED

That a section 106 monitoring fee as set out in the schedule in the appendix to the agenda report be introduced and the future annual review of those fees be delegated to the Head of Planning Services.

The Cabinet considered the agenda report and its appendix in the agenda supplement appendix pack (copies attached to the official minutes).

The report was introduced by Mrs Taylor.

Mrs Dower and Mr Allgrove were in attendance for this item.

Mrs Taylor summarised sections 3 (background), 4 (outcomes) and 5 (proposal) of the agenda report with reference to the funding of CDC’s Planning Obligations Monitoring and Implementation Officer. 

Mrs Dower and Mr Allgrove did not wish to add to Mrs Taylor’s presentation.

Mrs Lintill queried whether the mention of the Head of Planning Services in the recommendation in para 2.1 of the agenda report should include a reference to his acting following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning Services. Mr Carvell and Mrs Taylor advised that since the setting of these fees would be a straightforward matter such consultation would not be necessary in this particular case. Mrs Purnell felt that nonetheless the Cabinet Member should be made aware by the Head of Planning Services of the fee-setting process and outcome. 

Mrs Dower and Mr Allgrove answered members’ questions and comments on points of detail with respect to the likelihood of local authorities gradually introducing such a fee given (as stated by Mrs Purnell) the critical importance of the s 106 monitoring role and the need to recover the costs thereof given that this work did not generate an income stream. Although some s 106 fees were currently covered by CDC’s budget and/or would be met by some s 106 agreements (the recovery of which had been the subject of legal advice by CDC’s Principal Solicitor), in the longer term there was a clear need to charge for this fee. The costs of recovering s 106 monitoring fees could be included in the annual Authority’s Monitoring Report. There would be a direct relationship between the fees to be charged and the cost of the officer post.    

Decision

At the conclusion of the debate the Cabinet voted on a show of hands unanimously in favour of the recommendation.

RESOLVED

That a section 106 monitoring fee as set out in the schedule in the appendix to the agenda report be introduced and the future annual review of those fees be delegated to the Head of Planning Services.