Up to 15 minutes are allowed for public participation. Participants are restricted to 3 minutes each.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Mr Steve Taylor to the meeting and invited him to address the Committee. The following statement was made: -
I am sure that this Committee is working hard to ensure Prosperous Communities throughout the district. And throughout the district many people are voluntarily working hard to ensure this too.
Unfortunately we are all being hampered by the West Lindsey Prosperous Communities Prevention Department – otherwise known as Planning.
This service has diverted a £30,000 charitable donation destined to Scothern Village Hall and has failed to organise s106 monies toward community facilities from willing developers. Support for planning obligation monies towards community facilities is legal, in accordance with guidance and lots of other Councils do it.
This failure to provide community facilities for communities taking new homes development is costing communities dear – both in terms of the money they should be getting from planning obligations and then the grant of monies this would pump prime.
This could amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds per community- valuable grant aid that this District would not otherwise access. Grant aid which we know is scarce in this area – hence why we get less than the UK average.
So how are these Planning Officers making Prosperous Communities? Aren’t Planning Officers undoing all the good you do?
Councillors, this issue needs to be grabbed, not talking to us isn’t the answer. We, like you, want to see prosperous sustainable communities which people want to live in. But we do need to look to our elected representatives to correct the ongoing wrong based upon an erroneous approach by Planning Officers who seem to think that the answer now is to create a wall of silence.
I ask this Committee to look into this so that your work is not in vain and I look forward to your support in getting community facilities supported. After all, if you don’t get developers to support these facilities – we will expect the District Council to find the money. Surely a no cost option is preferable in these cash strapped times? And surely this is the way to make prosperous communities around the district?
Finally Chairman, can I ask for a reassurance that I will receive a specific response from this Committee to my specific statement and question raised tonight.
Thank you.”
The Chairman thanked Mr Taylor for his question and asked the Chief Operating Officer to address Mr Taylor’s closing point.
Committee were advised that Mr Taylor would be posing a series of similar, yet differing questions to a range of the Council’s meetings over the coming weeks. It was therefore intended to provide Mr Taylor with a single response to all the questions, once they had all been put. Assurance was offered that all the points raised would be addressed in this single response.
Whilst Members were accepting of this, there were some who were of the view that the issue raised warranted not just an Officer response but a Member response also. The Chief Operating Officer advised that this was not a matter for debate by the Committee that evening. It was important that Members had available to them, all relevant information relating to S106s and as such it had been agreed with the Chairman that a S106 monitoring report would be submitted to the Committee early in the new civic year and as such would be debated at that time.
Opposition Members welcomed the questions and were of the view it raised some important issues for rural communities, they welcomed the opportunity to further debate of this matter, and the points Mr Taylor had raised, at a future meeting.
In responding further, Officers indicated that the legal matters, and issues raised in the questions, could also be included within the report. Officers further welcomed Mr Taylor to be present for that debate.
Some Members suggested the matter could be referred to the Challenge an Improvement Committee. However as the Chairman of that Committee was present he indicated, in the first instance the matter should be looked at by the Policy Committee, if after such time Members were not content, this may be something that could be looked at, but he was confident this route would not be required.
Reference was also made to the work being undertaken by the Governance and Audit Committee, and it was further suggested by a Member that this could be incorporated. The Chairman advised the point would be noted.
Mr Taylor was again thanked for his question.