Issue - meetings

This report proposes a process to determine the governance system for allocating the local spending element of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL 15%).

The Committee agreed:

(1)          An interim proposal for the governance arrangements of the CIL 15% (local spend) for 2018/19 through two funds: the Community Infrastructure Fund and the Borough Investment Find as outlined in section 3 of the report;

(2)          To the establishment of a Panel to evaluate and agreed bids comprising of the Chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, Chairman of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, one additional member from the Strategy and Resources Committee (Councillor Hannah Dalton) and a substitute (Councillor Tony Axelrod)

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Head of Corporate Governance to agree the projects to be awarded funding from the Community Infrastructure Fund based on the recommendations of the Panel;

(4)          That a further report be brought back to the Committee by April 2019 to determine a permanent scheme for the governance arrangements of CIL 15%.

A report proposing a process to determine the governance system for allocating the local spending element of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL 15%) was considered by the Committee.

It was proposed to reactivate and expand the former Civic Investment Fund, to be renamed as the Borough Investment Fund, (to focus on smaller public realm improvements), and to introduce a new Community Infrastructure Fund, eventually enabling communities, supported by councillors to bid for funding projects in their area.

The Committee welcomed the proposals in the report regarding interim arrangements, particularly for the allocation of the Community Infrastructure Fund, as monies within this element of CIL were growing.  For 2018/19, it was proposed that a Member Panel would review bids to the Community Infrastructure Fund and allocate funds on the basis of priority, scored against the proposed matrix set out in Annexe 1 to the report.

A further report would be brought back to the Committee in April 2019 with details of the permanent methodology for the allocation of funding in future years and an update on the monies spent in 2018/19.

A Briefing Evening for members had been arranged on 3 May 2018 to provide members with guidance on bidding against the £250,000 allocated to the Community Infrastructure Fund in 2018/19.  It was noted that infrastructure had a broad definition in the context of CIL and the session was intended provide clarification on what bids would meet the criteria and how the bids will be evaluated.

 The Committee agreed:

(1)          An interim proposal for the governance arrangements of the CIL 15% (local spend) for 2018/19 through two funds: the Community Infrastructure Fund and the Borough Investment Find as outlined in section 3 of the report;

(2)          To the establishment of a Panel to evaluate and agreed bids comprising of the Chairman of the Strategy and Resources Committee, Chairman of the Community and Wellbeing Committee, one additional member from the Strategy and Resources Committee (Councillor Hannah Dalton) and a substitute (Councillor Tony Axelrod)

(3)          That authority be delegated to the Head of Corporate Governance to agree the projects to be awarded funding from the Community Infrastructure Fund based on the recommendations of the Panel;

(4)          That a further report be brought back to the Committee by April 2019 to determine a permanent scheme for the governance arrangements of CIL 15%.