Agenda item

10.1

It was moved by Councillor Lewis Chinchen, and formally seconded by the Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), that this Council:-

(a)       recognises that housing growth must be supported by sufficient investment in infrastructure and services, including transport, education, active travel improvements and public spaces;

(b)       believes the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a crucial tool that the Council has at its disposal to achieve this objective;

(c)        believes that the Neighbourhood Portion of CIL, allocated to wards using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), is not meeting its intended objective as there is little connection between where it is spent and the number of houses built in these areas (except for localities that have a Town/Parish Council or Neighbourhood Plan);

(d)       believes the CIL funding formula for the Neighbourhood Portion must be more closely linked to housing growth, given that the purpose of CIL is to support new development;

(e)       believes that a bespoke formula can be created that ensures zero-rate charging areas still receive a fair allocation, whilst ensuring sufficient funds go to the areas experiencing the greatest pressure from new development;

(f)        notes that Cornwall County Council ensures that zero-rate charging areas still receive an allocation of CIL funds, whilst awarding parishes an amount proportionate to the scale of development in their area;

(g)       also, notes that a large proportion of Neighbourhood CIL that is allocated to wards is not spent, with some wards not spending any of their allocated funds within a financial year; and

(h)       therefore, invites:-

(i)         the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to commission an investigation into the feasibility of a new formula for Neighbourhood CIL that more closely links Neighbourhood CIL allocations to housing growth, whilst ensuring that zero/low-rate charging areas receive their fair share;

(ii)        Local Area Committees (LACs) to feature an item on every meeting agenda on the spending of Neighbourhood CIL monies so that we have proper political accountability;

(iii)       officers to create working groups with ward members and the relevant council officers (for example, Highways or Parks & Countryside) to identify suitable schemes to fund using Neighbourhood CIL monies and create action plans to take those schemes forward;

(iv)       LACs to oversee the establishment of inter-ward collaboration between wards; and

(v)               the Governance Committee to satisfy itself that Members receive sufficient training regarding CIL so they understand how to make best use of the funding available.

10.1.1

(NOTE: With the agreement of the Council and at the request of the mover of the Motion (Councillor Lewis Chinchen), the Motion as published on the agenda was altered by the deletion of sub-paragraph (h)(iii) of the Motion, and consequential re-lettering of the remaining sub-paragraphs.)

10.2

Whereupon, it was formally moved by Councillor Ian Horner, and formally seconded by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by:-

1.         the addition of a new paragraph (h) as follows, and the re-lettering of the original paragraph (h) as a new paragraph (i):-

(h)       furthermore notes that:-

(i)         government guidance on how CIL is to be spent reads “If there is no parish or town council, the charging authority will retain the levy receipts but should engage with the communities where development has taken place and agree with them how best to spend the neighbourhood funding.”;

(ii)        while there was a consultation on the formula by which the neighbourhood portion raised in any area is now allocated to other areas, the neighbourhoods where funding is raised are not consulted on the projects the funding is spent upon; and

(iii)       this lack of consultation is a consequence of the policy of the Council to spend neighbourhood portions of CIL in neighbourhoods other than where they are raised;

2.         the addition of a new sub-paragraph (vi) to the newly re-lettered paragraph (i) [original paragraph (h)], as follows:-

(i)(vi)   the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to consider adding to its work programme a review of the policy of redistributing the neighbourhood portion of CIL so that the guidance regarding consultation can be meaningfully honoured.

10.3

On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost.

10.3.1

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

For the amendment (26)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Ian Horner, Kurtis Crossland, Ann Woolhouse, Martin Smith, Robert Reiss, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Mohammed Mahroof, Steve Ayris, Glynis Chapman, Penny Baker, Richard Williams, Lewis Chinchen, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker.

Against the amendment (33)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn) and Councillors Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Minesh Parekh, Ruth Milsom, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Craig Gamble Pugh, Fran Belbin, Abdul Khayum, Sioned-Mair Richards, Terry Fox, Laura Moynahan, Tony Downing, Ibby Ullah, Nighat Basharat, Ben Miskell, Nabeela Mowlana, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Peter Price, Mike Chaplin, Julie Grocutt, Janet Ridler, Laura McClean, Tom Hunt and Alison Norris.

Abstained from voting on the amendment (12)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Maleiki Haybe, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Alexi Dimond, Marieanne Elliot, Paul Turpin, Christine Gilligan Kubo, Henry Nottage and Maroof Raouf.

10.4

The original Motion, in the following form, was then put to the vote:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       recognises that housing growth must be supported by sufficient investment in infrastructure and services, including transport, education, active travel improvements and public spaces;

(b)       believes the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a crucial tool that the Council has at its disposal to achieve this objective;

(c)        believes that the Neighbourhood Portion of CIL, allocated to wards using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), is not meeting its intended objective as there is little connection between where it is spent and the number of houses built in these areas (except for localities that have a Town/Parish Council or Neighbourhood Plan);

(d)       believes the CIL funding formula for the Neighbourhood Portion must be more closely linked to housing growth, given that the purpose of CIL is to support new development;

(e)       believes that a bespoke formula can be created that ensures zero-rate charging areas still receive a fair allocation, whilst ensuring sufficient funds go to the areas experiencing the greatest pressure from new development;

(f)        notes that Cornwall County Council ensures that zero-rate charging areas still receive an allocation of CIL funds, whilst awarding parishes an amount proportionate to the scale of development in their area;

(g)       also, notes that a large proportion of Neighbourhood CIL that is allocated to wards is not spent, with some wards not spending any of their allocated funds within a financial year; and

(h)       therefore, invites:-

(i)         the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee to commission an investigation into the feasibility of a new formula for Neighbourhood CIL that more closely links Neighbourhood CIL allocations to housing growth, whilst ensuring that zero/low-rate charging areas receive their fair share;

(ii)        Local Area Committees (LACs) to feature an item on every meeting agenda on the spending of Neighbourhood CIL monies so that we have proper political accountability;

(iii)       officers to create working groups with ward members and the relevant council officers (for example, Highways or Parks & Countryside) to identify suitable schemes to fund using Neighbourhood CIL monies and create action plans to take those schemes forward;

(iv)       LACs to oversee the establishment of inter-ward collaboration between wards; and

(v)        the Governance Committee to satisfy itself that Members receive sufficient training regarding CIL so they understand how to make best use of the funding available.

10.5

On being put to the vote, the Motion was carried in part.  Paragraphs (a) and (b) and sub-paragraphs (h)(ii), (iv) and (v) were carried, and paragraphs (c) to (g) and sub-paragraphs (h)(i) and (iii) were lost.

10.5.1

The votes on the Motion were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

For paragraphs (a) and (b) and sub-paragraphs (h)(ii), (iv) and (v) of the Motion (58)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross), the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn)  and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Ian Horner, Kurtis Crossland, Ann Woolhouse, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Minesh Parekh,Ruth Milsom, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Martin Smith, Robert Reiss, Craig Gamble Pugh, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Fran Belbin, Abdul Khayum, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Mohammed Mahroof, Steve Ayris, Terry Fox, Laura Moynahan, Tony Downing, Glynis Chapman, Ibby Ullah, Nighat Basharat, Ben Miskell, Nabeela Mowlana, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Peter Price, Mike Chaplin, Penny Baker, Richard Williams, Lewis Chinchen, Julie Grocutt, Janet Ridler, Laura McClean, Tom Hunt, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery, Ann Whitaker and Alison Norris.

Against paragraphs (a) and (b) and sub-paragraphs (h)(ii), (iv) and (v) of the Motion (0)

-

NIL

Abstained from voting on paragraphs (a) and (b) and sub-paragraphs (h)(ii), (iv) and (v) of the Motion (12)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Maleiki Haybe, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Alexi Dimond, Marieanne Elliot, Paul Turpin, Christine Gilligan Kubo, Henry Nottage and Maroof Raouf.

For paragraphs (c) to (g) and sub-paragraphs (h)(i) and (iii) of the Motion (26)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Colin Ross) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Richard Shaw, Sophie Thornton, Ian Horner, Kurtis Crossland, Ann Woolhouse, Martin Smith, Robert Reiss, Alan Woodcock, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Mohammed Mahroof, Steve Ayris, Glynis Chapman, Penny Baker, Richard Williams, Lewis Chinchen, Alan Hooper, Mike Levery and Ann Whitaker.

Against paragraphs (c) to (g) and sub-paragraphs (h)(i) and (iii) of the Motion (32)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Jayne Dunn) and Councillors Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Safiya Saeed, Minesh Parekh, Ruth Milsom, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Craig Gamble Pugh, Fran Belbin, Abdul Khayum, Terry Fox, Laura Moynahan, Tony Downing, Ibby Ullah, Nighat Basharat, Ben Miskell, Nabeela Mowlana, David Barker, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Peter Price, Mike Chaplin, Julie Grocutt, Janet Ridler, Laura McClean, Tom Hunt and Alison Norris.

Abstained from voting on paragraphs (c) to (g) and sub-paragraphs (h)(i) and (iii) of the Motion (12)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Brian Holmshaw, Maleiki Haybe, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Alexi Dimond, Marieanne Elliot, Paul Turpin, Christine Gilligan Kubo, Henry Nottage and Maroof Raouf.

10.6

Accordingly, the resolution passed by the Council was as follows:-

RESOLVED:  That this Council:-

(a)       recognises that housing growth must be supported by sufficient investment in infrastructure and services, including transport, education, active travel improvements and public spaces;

(b)       believes the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a crucial tool that the Council has at its disposal to achieve this objective; and

(c)        therefore, invites:-

(i)         Local Area Committees (LACs) to feature an item on every meeting agenda on the spending of Neighbourhood CIL monies so that we have proper political accountability;

(ii)        LACs to oversee the establishment of inter-ward collaboration between wards; and

(iii)       the Governance Committee to satisfy itself that Members receive sufficient training regarding CIL so they understand how to make best use of the funding available.