Agenda item

(To consider a report from Justin Brown, Assistant Director – Growth, on the Developer Contributions Scrutiny Review - Executive Response and Action Plan)

Consideration was given to a report from the Assistant Director – Growth, on the Developer Contributions Scrutiny Review - Executive Response and Action Plan. On 05 January 2021 the Executive received a report on Developer Contributions, which had been prepared by Scrutiny Panel A, on behalf of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board. The Board was invited to receive the Executive's response to the report and to agree a plan to monitor and scrutinise the implementation of the agreed recommendations.

The recommendations as outlined previously at the December meeting of the Board were as follows:-

Recommendation 1

That Lincolnshire County Council continue to oppose those aspects of the 'Planning for the future' White Paper which would limit the Council's ability to ensure that new developments had as little impact as possible on existing residents, communities, and businesses.

Recommendation 2

That officers continue to work with developers, building a strong relationship so that developers continue to see Lincolnshire County Council as a partner with whom to engage and whose priorities should be adhered to, whatever recommendations were made through new legislation next year.

Recommendation 3

That the Council establish a strategic approach to requesting, co-ordinating, and monitoring Developer Contributions. The Executive Councillor for Commercial and Environmental Management and the Executive Councillor for Economy and Place should work with the Head of Development Management in its establishment.

Recommendation 4

On those occasions where a scheme could not viably fulfil all requests for Developer Contributions, then the Executive should decide which schemes should be prioritised using a published escalation process. The Executive Councillor for Commercial and Environmental Management and the Executive Councillor for Economy and Place should work with the Head of Development Management in its establishment.

Recommendation 5

An Infrastructure Funding Statement should be produced annually by the Executive in line with the requirements in the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2019.

Recommendation 6

That the Executive approve the implementation of the Councillor Engagement Action Plan outlined in the report.

The Executive had endorsed all the recommendations and the principles that would be adopted in delivering the action plan which were outlined as follows:

Leadership statement – a clear statement to be prepared, and communicated to partners, setting out the Council's ambitions for the county's future and focusing on corporate priorities for the future, such as access to services across the whole of the area, and the achievement of low carbon targets.

Informed analysis of development - a commitment to improve and strengthen the way that departments across the whole of the Council advise the Executive on the cumulative impact of development on the corporate ambitions of the Council; local ward members to be supported in demonstrating how developments might impact on their area.

Strategy for securing developer contributions – based on the leadership statement and the analysis of proposed development, LCC would establish a clear position on the contributions it would require from any development. This would be a whole Council position and it would be clearly and proactively communicated to local planning authorities and to developers.

Communication – clarity in the way that the County Council advised local planning authorities on the impact of planning applications. Use of  expressions like "We do not support…" in order to give clarity to the local planning authority and the public of the Council's position on applications.

Transparency – publication of the Council's response to local planning authorities on the Council's own website, so that the local planning authority, developers, and the community can understand the County Council's position on that application.

The new operating process would commence within the next six months. An annual statement would be produced by 31 December each year and there would be a review of the outcomes of the new approach in January 2022.

Councillor C J Davie, Executive Councillor for Economy and Place, highlighted that the response covered the views of the Executive, and would support the Council's Place Shaping Agenda and put the Council on a positive course for how to handle this area. Councillor L Wootten welcomed the Executive's response and action plan.

Members discussed the report, and during the discussion the following points were noted:

·         The action plan was welcomed and should be shared with the Planning and Regulation Committee and the Environment and Economy Scrutiny Committee.

·         Training for councillors on the planning and developer contributions process was welcomed.

·         It was confirmed that a review of the new processes would be considered by the Board in September.

·         Following 'the money' was seen as important.

·         There was support that all future developments should be sustainable.

RESOLVED:

1)    That the Executive's response to the report - Developer Contributions Scrutiny Review be noted;

2)    That a six monthly monitoring update be submitted to the Board for the September 2021 meeting.