Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director City Development.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that:-

(1)   the Draft Charging Schedule (Appendix A of the report) and the supporting evidence (Appendices B and C of the report) be approved as the basis for a six week consultation, commencing in December 2022;

(2)   delegated authority be given to the Director of City Development, in consultation with the Council Leader, to agree minor changes to the Draft Charging Schedule before it is published for consultation;

(3)   following the consultation, the submission of the Draft Charging Schedule, supporting evidence and consultation responses and other information be approved to enable an independent examination on the Draft Charging Schedule to take place, subject to there being no revisions to the proposed CIL charges; and

(4)   following the consultation, if any further proposed revisions to the CIL charges are proposed, that an updated draft be brought to the Executive in advance of submission for examination.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report which provided a progress update on the partial review of the Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule, which identified the CIL rates to be charged on different types of development. A series of revised CIL charges had been proposed and, following statutory requirements, approval to undertake public consultation on the draft Charging Schedule was sought for commencement in December 2022.

Particular reference was made to:-

·        an agreement by the Council in July 2019 regarding the budget required to prepare a draft Charging Schedule and to commission consultants to address viability and therefore there was no direct or additional resources required at this stage as the next step was consultation;

·        there would be an increased charge on Purpose Built Student Accommodation and Co-Living;

·        the new rate for the Build to Rent;

·        removal of the charge for flats due to their viability;

·        there would be no change to retail outside of the city centre; and

·        the draft charging rates would be formally examined in 2023.

Councillor Jobson, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item and asked why Co-Living was not being charged at the same rate as purpose-built student accommodation?

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item. She asked how much of the approved budget of up to £75,000 had been spent on the contract on a partial review and why only a partial review was being undertaken?

Councillor K. Mitchell, as an opposition group leader, referring to the over concentration of student accommodation in certain areas of the city, including Article 4 areas, suggested that consideration should be given to a zoning approach for different charges to be applied to different parts of the city.

A Member referred to the CIL rates which supported shaping the development of the city and helping to inform the overall market. It was noted that developers would also contribute to the consultation process.

The following responses were provided to Members’ questions:-

·        in terms of funding, a budget of up to £75,000 was approved by Council. To date, the Council had spent a total of £30,175. Most of the evidence for the CIL review was now complete. Further expenditure was anticipated to cover the consultation, some additional consultancy fees, and the examination, however the expectation was that the project would come in under the £75,000 budget;

·        a review of the CIL Charging Schedule had been approved by the Executive in July 2019. The decision did not stipulate the detailed breadth of the review. Discussions had been held with consultants to consider the appropriate scope of the review and on this basis the work had focused on proposing to amend the rates for those uses where development viability would have evolved most significantly. This was an important point to note because the level of CIL was determined by development viability and the process of this work had followed the statutory requirements.

·        The terminology of a ‘partial review’ referred to the proposed revision of a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 124