Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Customer and Regulatory Services, Councillor Martin Horwood

The Cabinet Member for Customer and Regulatory Services introduced his report, which was made up of three documents – the CIL report, the S106 report, and the infrastructure list – as a matter of record and in compliance with legislation.

Summarising the headline figures, he said CBC received £1.35m in CIL contributions in the year to 31 March 2023, with £67.5k put towards administration costs, currently pooled with Tewkesbury Borough Council, and £51.5k raised for 15% of the overall pot in unparished areas of town to create a pot of £127k with the previous years’ monies. A community-led bidding process has now been instituted, with over £100k allocated to community projects in 2023. A further £151,867 has been allocated to Charlton Kings, Leckhampton with Warden Hill, and Prestbury parish councils, and is being spent on local necessities such as drainage systems and fencing.

He said the final 80% of the pot – over £1m – has been pooled with Gloucester and Tewkesbury to form the strategic infrastructure pot.  The interim list of possible projects is now much broader than previously, and includes social projects, green transport measures, and health infrastructure as well as road works – a massive improvement on previous years and testament to the benefits of joint working. 

Also, in fulfilment of a promise to Council last year, this was voted on and approved at last week’s Council meeting, ensuring accountability, which provides important reassurance with pooled money.  The council will continue to pool funds for strategic infrastructure with Gloucester and Tewkesbury.

S106 financial contributions amount to over £1m, which is largely being devoted to affordable housing – 29 units were built last year, with agreements for a further 156 in place.  This is a crucial part of the delivery of the council’s pledge to help people in Cheltenham find accommodation they can afford.

He said the overall picture is very positive, with money being spent on great neighbourhood projects, by parish councils and the borough, affordable housing being delivered and administration costs being covered, all with full democratic accountability.  He hoped that this emerging system would be preserved by the government.

The Cabinet Member for Housing felt that the report was thorough, interesting and transparent, showing where the money was being invested.  She thanked the Cabinet Member for Customer and Regulatory Services for including a covering letter about allocations to non-parished areas through the neighbourhood funding pot, and wondered whether this would be included in next year’s full infrastructure funding statement.  The Cabinet Member for Customer and Regulatory Services was not sure if this was a statutory requirement, but welcomed the suggestion and committed to including full details in next year’s report, through an open and transparent cross-party process.

He thanked Tracey Birkinshaw, Paul Hardiman, and other officers who have worked on this technical and complicated piece of work.

RESOLVED THAT:

1.    the publication of the Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) relating to the financial year ending 31st March 2023 by 31^st December 2023 is approved;

2.    the publication of the Annual CIL Rate Summary Statement alongside it by the 31^st December 2023 is noted;

3.    the Infrastructure List and decision to approve this by Council on 11 December 2023 is noted.