Issue - meetings

(To receive a report from the Executive Director – Resources which invites the Executive to consider the recommendations of the scrutiny review report and make arrangements for responding to the report)

(1)  That the Developer Contributions Scrutiny Review final report be received.

(2)  That arrangements be made to respond to the report within two months:

(a)  to indicate in the response which recommendations have been accepted; and

(b)  where recommendations are accepted, to bring forward an action plan for their implementation.

Councillor L Wootten, as Chairman of Scrutiny Panel A, presented the report on its scrutiny review of Developer Contributions, which had been approved by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board on 17 December 2020.  The scrutiny review had been undertaken during October and November 2020 and had focused on how to maximise developer contributions to mitigate the impact of developments on local communities; the involvement of councillors in the contributions process; and the Government's Planning for the Future White Paper. 

Close collaboration with district councils was considered essential and the report made six recommendations, covering the themes of leadership, decision-making and management. 

Councillor R B Parker, the Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board, presented additional comments, which praised the scrutiny report and also included reference to the importance of local democracy and collaboration across Lincolnshire. 

The following points were made by the Executive:

·         The completion of the report was important and timely, given the 100,000 extra houses which had been anticipated in Greater Lincolnshire, with further demands for housing expected.

·         The role of district councils, as local planning authorities, and the County Council, as the main infrastructure provider required a degree of collaboration.  

·         The Planning for the Future White Paper had caused several concerns, for example the expectation that local authorities would 'forward-fund' infrastructure, with the developer only paying its contributions to local authorities once the development was complete.  

The Executive welcomed the report and its recommendations; and concluded that the report had provided the basis for a series of activities on developer contributions; and an action plan would be compiled to address the issues raised.

RESOLVED

(1)         That the Developer Contributions Scrutiny Review final report be received.

(2)         That arrangements be made to respond to the report within two months:

(a)    to indicate in the response which recommendations have been accepted; and

(b)    where recommendations are accepted, to bring forward an action plan for their implementation.