Issue - meetings

To receive an update in respect of Section 106 Procedures.

The Panel received a report detailing the basis on which the Council secured Section 106 (S106) receipts and how receipts were utilised once received.

Receipts tended to be used for improvements to education facilities, transport infrastructure and leisure and culture facilities.  In the areas of transport infrastructure and education the expenditure of S106 receipts was usually governed by legal agreements signed with developers, while there was generally more flexibility in the way that leisure and culture receipts were spent. 

It had been acknowledged that the current procedures for allocating discretionary S106 funding gave little opportunity for ward members to provide input into the decision making process.  To address this it had been agreed, by the Executive Member for Planning and Transport and the Executive Member for Leisure, Corporate Services and Public Protection, that an additional step would be added to the consultation process from September 2009.  This additional step would enable members to comment on ‘in year’ S106 projects proposed in their wards in advance of the approval decision.

The Town and Parish Council Liaison Group received regular reports detailing expenditure of S106 receipts on a parish by parish, ward by ward basis and it was agreed that these reports would also be sent to all members. 

It was suggested that the reports were expanded to include any caveats that restricted how and where receipts were spent and it was agreed that where it was possible to do so the information would be included.