Agenda item

The Chairman provided a brief introduction to the report which sought the Committee’s agreement, in respect of the Area Committee budgets, the allocations of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), the CIL Funding Policy and Eligibility Guidelines to enable funding applications to be assessed and determined by Members, and to provide CIL funding for a Road Safety & Parking fund to be managed by the Executive Director for Environment.

The Committee’s attention was drawn to the additional amendments to Appendix B that had been circulated. 

With regards to the issue on revenue impact and consideration around CIL projects the Assistant Director - Capital Delivery, encouraged the need for Members to have informal discussions with officers around the development of schemes before they come to Committee. This would help identify whether there’d be any revenue impact.

With regards to the following paragraph in the additional amendment, Appendix B, Road Safety and Parking Request

“Should the Executive Director, Environment be minded to decline a request for Road Safety & Parking funding, this will be in consultation with the Chairman of the Environment Committee (for individual member requests) or the relevant Chairman of Chipping Barnet, Finchley and Golders Green or Hendon Area Committees (for requests made by committee member items)”

Councillor Alison Moore requested an amendment to the above, asking that when the decision to decline a request is made, along with those to be consulted an opposition member or one of the following is also consulted to aide transparency and openness;

Ø  The lead opposition Member on Environment Committee

Ø  Lead opposition Member on the Area Committee or

Ø  Leader of the opposition

The Chairman confirmed that there would be transparency and openness by way of providing an explanation and the reason for declining the request to the Area Committee and to the Ward Councillor concerned. He reiterated the point raised by Assistant Director - Capital Delivery on working with officers and having those informal discussion as it may be the case that an alternative solution can be presented.

With the assurance that (i) a full report will be presented to Committee, clearly documenting and setting out the reasons on why the request has been declined and therefore enabling members to question the decision and (ii) there being a review in October, Councillor Moore withdrew the amendment.

Upon being put to the vote the tabled amendment to Appendix B and the additional amendment to Appendix B were unanimously agreed.

Upon being put to the vote the recommendations as set out in the report were unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED – That the Committee

1.     Agree arrangements in respect of Area Committees allocations of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding of up to £1.2m per annum (£400,000 per Area Committee).

2.     Agree to remove the funding limit for each individual Area Committee CIL funded project.

3.     Agree in respect of the Area Committees the new CIL Funding Application Guidelines and Funding Application Form (Appendix A).

4.     Agree CIL funding for a Road Safety & Parking Fund of up to £300,000 per annum, for schemes to be authorised by the Executive Director, Environment.

5.     Agree the Road Safety & Parking Funding Guidelines and Request Form (Appendix B).

6.     Note that a review of the revised Area Committee CIL funding and Road Safety & Parking CIL Fund will be undertaken after two rounds of Area Committee meetings (i.e. in October/November 2021).