Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

South Councillors David Nimmo-Smith and Ian White submitted apologies.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Joint Scrutiny Committee minutes of the meeting held on 30 October 2018 (attached). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 October 2018 were agreed as an accurate record and were signed by the Chairman.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman. 

None.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

To consider the joint report of the head of planning and head of development and regeneration (attached). 

The committee considered the report of the heads of planning and development and regeneration on the policies and procedures relating to S106 planning obligations and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Appendices detailing South and Vale S106 agreements 2014-18 relating to developments of over 100 dwellings were tabled.

Councillor Roger Cox, Vale Cabinet member for planning, introduced the report.  Also present to answer questions were Councillor Paul Harrison, South Cabinet member for development and regeneration, Adrian Duffield, head of planning, Suzanne Malcolm, head of development and regeneration, and Cathie Scotting, major applications officer.

In response to members’ questions, it was reported that:

·           Currently, S106 obligations are sought only where the sites are exempt from CIL or where the development is sufficiently large to generate on site infrastructure.

·           The need for infrastructure is assessed within the context of planning policy guidance and standards. Needs are also considered on a site-by-site basis, taking into account features of the site, the nature of the development and capacity of other provision within the locality.

·           Under the new staffing structure, planning officers will continue to negotiate S106 agreements alongside the processing of planning applications. Planning will also retain responsibility for the monitoring and collection of S106 and CIL monies. Development and regeneration are to assume responsibility for spending S106 and CIL monies, the implementation of non-financial S106 obligations and the monitoring of spend.

·           Junior planning officers are trained on negotiating S106 agreements by shadowing senior officers.

·           The planning appeals process is an indicator of success of S106 negotiations. Independent viability consultants are engaged to ensure that financial obligations are appropriate.

·           Following a consultation on the future of S106 and CIL infrastructure mechanisms, the Government has committed to removing pooling restrictions. As yet, there is no timescale for implementation.

·           Councillors are notified of every planning application in their ward.

·           Officers have an ongoing dialogue with Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) regarding how it spent its CIL allocation. If parishes wished to suggest specific projects to OCC, they needed to provide supporting evidence.

The committee requested that councillors should be invited to the workshops on CIL to be held with parishes.

RESOLVED: to note the report.

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

The committee noted its work programme and agreed that, should the Joint Statutory Spatial Plan be drafted in time, it be considered at an additional meeting in late January 2019.