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Issue - meetings

Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023/24

 

 

Meeting: 20/11/2024 - Executive (Item 257)

257 Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 84 KB

Purpose:

To note the West Oxfordshire Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) for 2023/24.

 

Recommendation:

That the Executive resolves to:

1.    Note the content of the Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) 2023/24 attached at Annex A, with a view to it being published on the Council’s website by 31 December 2024 in accordance with legislative requirements; and

2.    Request that Officers prepare an Infrastructure Spending Strategy to help prioritise the timely expenditure of unallocated S106 monies on appropriate projects for the benefit of local communities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Planning introduced the report that provided greater clarity on the receipt and use of developer contributions including Section 106 planning obligations to fund new and enhanced infrastructure in support of planned growth. As such, the IFS helps to support several aims and objectives of the Council Plan.

The main purpose of the IFS was to set out in a transparent manner, future infrastructure requirements and expected costs, contributions received during the previous financial year, anticipated funding from developer contributions and the Council’s future spending priorities.

 

The key figures were as follows:

·         £3,183,352.60 in financial contributions as well as 287 affordable homes were secured in Section 106 legal agreements during 2023/24;

·         £892,062.70 of Section 106 funds were collected by the District Council in

2023/24;

·         £1,510,850.55 of Section 106 funds were either spent by West Oxfordshire District Council or transferred to another party (such as Oxfordshire County

Council or Town/Parish Councils) for expenditure;

·         £2,281,472.15 of received Section 106 funds are allocated (i.e. committed to a certain project) but not spent;

·         A total of £8,873,356.16 has been received from Section 106 funds before 1st April 2023 but has not yet been allocated (i.e. committed to a certain project) by the

District Council;

·         Including £1,171,107.35 in commuted sums for maintenance of open spaces, as of 1st April 2024, the District Council held a total of £13,150,009.86 in S106 monies.

 

Unallocated funds in the report were not unusual and occurred when developments had not been developed to the degree agreed or where funds had not been fully received; those funds were earmarked for specific projects. The second recommendation was meant to address that in future reports.

 

The Leader explained that it was hoped for a joined up approach with Oxford County Council, City, Town and Parishes in pursuing developer contribution agreements in a sustainable way. Members agreed with the Leader and there was a point raised on what the £1.7m for the maintenance of open spaces was used for and  whether private management companies, who had been established to look after public spaces, could be challenged within the Local Plan. The Chief Executive thought that the £1.7m was the Council fund for the maintenance of open spaces but would ask an Officer to clarify; he agreed that solutions needed to be found on the issues of private management companies and that all open spaces should be managed in an appropriate manner as reflection on the needs of residents.

 

Councillor Hugo Ashton proposed that the Executive agree the recommendations as listed on the report. This was seconded by the Leader, Councillor Andy Graham, was put to a vote, and was unanimously agreed by the Executive.

 

The Executive Resolved to:

1. Note the content of the Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) 2023/24 attached at Annex A, with a view to it being published on the Council’s website by 31 December 2024 in accordance with legislative requirements; and

2. Request that Officers prepare an Infrastructure Spending Strategy to help prioritise the timely expenditure of unallocated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 257

Meeting: 06/11/2024 - Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Item 60)

60 Infrastructure Funding Statement 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Purpose:

To note the West Oxfordshire Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) for 2023/24.

 

Recommendations:

That the Committee resolves to:

1.    Agree any recommendations it wishes to submit to the Executive on 20 November 2024.

 

Invited:

Councillor Hugo Ashton, Executive Member for Planning

Chris Hargraves, Planning Policy Manager

Jasper Lamoon, Infrastructure Delivery Lead

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Planning introduced the Head of Planning and the Infrastructure Delivery Lead. The report provided greater clarity on the receipt and use of developer contributions including Section 106 planning obligations to fund new and enhanced infrastructure in support of planned growth. As such, the IFS helped to support several aims and objectives of the Council Plan.

 

It was to be noted that the Section 106 annual report was not included as details could not be shared due to not being contractually determined; however, £13m was held and £8.9 was unallocated and most were earmarked to specific projects.

 

S106 was to mitigate impacts of development on a locality that was specifically earmarked in a legal agreement to meet a specific identified need and was applied when delivering development once the impact of development could be seen.  There was a very specific process for allocating it for projects needed a request. There was a breakdown in table 7 and there was evidence that sports play and leisure were very good at proving need and requesting money.

 

It was to be noted that the 2006 scheme became unviable and needed further funding and money was received much later on. There were no spend deadlines, however; it was used on long-term projects. Monies were being received from 2014-2021 and all instalments were needed before it could be spent.  The council were actively working on projects for 2025 to 2026 and nothing would be lost.

 

The following points and suggestions were noted by the Committee:

·         S106 money was not always index linked and the Council did not sit on the money for long.

·         S106 money was project specific and if it could not go to a specific project the it would go to a department and work would be done with the local community on how to allocate it and legal agreements would be looked at as part of that process.

·         CIL would be introduced and submitted to an examiner before Christmas. CIL could be more flexible and capture smaller developments. West Oxford District Council (WODC) could define how it was spent and as part of the IFS which would be used to set out priorities and a list of schemes would be drawn out of it.

·         Any contribution to a community needed to be evidence based and would need to requested at the application stage internally. Once the money was received the Parish Council would be informed and the council would work with them on delivering it to a specific project or area on infrastructure which could be flexible on needs.

·         There would be a review of if CIL could be used for sustainable transport etc. if proper evidence base that were defendable at appeal could be set up.  There will be aim to ensure no money was lost by working with internal teams, tracking and chasing and ensure good accountancy procedures to actively manage it. However, it could not be guaranteed that schemes would not fail to unviability.

 

·         CIL  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60

 

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