Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Portfolio Holder for Planning

(a)    That Dorset Council withdraws the draft revised Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule from public examination.

(b)    That an Exceptional Circumstances Relief Policy for the Purbeck charging area, as set out in Appendix A to the report of 12 March 2024, be agreed, and authority be given to publish the policy to operate exceptional circumstances relief for that area.

(c)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Lead for Place to determine applications for exceptional circumstances relief.

Reason for the decision

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) operates as a planning tool to support the delivery of infrastructure which was required because of development. Across Dorset Council, four charging areas currently operate, each with its own adopted charging schedule.  These charging schedules were adopted by the relevant predecessor councils prior to Local Government Reorganisation in April 2019. The revised draft charging schedule had been based on viability evidence developed prior to examination submission and proposed the introduction of a bespoke charging arrangement to help facilitate the delivery of sites allocated in the draft Purbeck Local Plan.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning advised members that Purbeck’s community infrastructure Levy (CIL) schedule had been in operation since 2014.  Each year the charging schedule rates were adjusted in line with inflation and changes in building costs. A revised charging schedule for Purbeck has been under examination since 2019, along with the examination of the draft Purbeck Local Plan (2018-2034).

The Portfolio Holder advised that with the rising infrastructure demands, it was estimated that the draft schedule would not provide sufficient CIL income to meet strategic infrastructure needs across Dorset. He recommended that Dorset Council continued to operate the existing charging schedule until a Dorset-wide charging schedule was adopted and that the draft revised CIL charging schedule be withdrawn from public examination. An Exceptional Circumstances Relief Policy should be operated for the area until the Dorset-wide policy was in place.

In setting out the recommendation, the Portfolio Holder proposed a minor amendment in recommendation (c) that the wording “the Executive Lead for Place” replaces the “Head of Planning”. The motion was seconded by Cllr J Somper.

Decision

(a)    That Dorset Council withdraws the draft revised Community Infrastructure Levy charging schedule from public examination.

(b)    That an Exceptional Circumstances Relief Policy for the Purbeck charging area, as set out in Appendix A to the report of 12 March 2024, be agreed, and authority be given to publish the policy to operate exceptional circumstances relief for that area.

(c)    That authority be delegated to the Executive Lead for Place to determine applications for exceptional circumstances relief.

Reason for the decision

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) operates as a planning tool to support the delivery of infrastructure which was required because of development. Across Dorset Council, four charging areas currently operate, each with its own adopted charging schedule.  These charging schedules were adopted by the relevant predecessor councils prior to Local Government Reorganisation in April 2019. The revised draft charging schedule had been based on viability evidence developed prior to examination submission and proposed the introduction of a bespoke charging arrangement to help facilitate the delivery of sites allocated in the draft Purbeck Local Plan.