To consider a report of the Chief Planning Officer on progress in relation to S106 Planning Agreements.
Minutes:
Referring to Minute 51 of the meeting held on 13th October 2009, the Chief Planning Officer submitted a report on progress in relation to Section106 Planning Agreements.
The purpose of the report was to provide the Scrutiny Board with:-
i) an overview of the current system for managing Section 106 Agreements in Leeds
ii) A breakdown of funds generated from Section 106 Agreements in Leeds and protocols for spending sums
A document entitled ‘Uncommitted sums broken down by ward’ covering Greenspace and Play areas; Affordable Housing Sums; Education Sums and Community Benefits Sums was circulated as supplementary information to assist the Board in their deliberations.
The following officers were in attendance and responded to Members’ queries and comments:-
Phil Crabtree, Chief Planning Officer, City Development
Paul Gough, Team Leader, Strategy and Policy, City Development
Clare Munnelly, Planning Agreement Manager, City Development
In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-
(The Chief Planning Officer and the Team Leader, Strategy and Policy responded and provided the meeting with a breakdown of expenditure with specific reference to the ring fencing process)
(The Chief Planning Officer responded and confirmed that a meeting
on this specific issue would be held with interested parties in the near
future)’
(The Chief Planning Officer and the Team Leader, Strategy and Policy responded and outlined the current funding criteria. The Board noted that the Eastgate Quarter development had not yet started and as a result it was notional money until the development commenced)
(The Chief Planning Officer responded and confirmed that the process was extremely rigorous, robust and transparent from start to finish)
(The Chief Planning Officer responded and informed the meeting that the department were more stringent than other Core Cities in respect of affordable housing)
(The Team Leader, Strategy and Policy responded and informed the meeting that this practice was not possible as new agreements would be required)
(The Team Leader, Strategy and Policy responded and agreed to e mail Members with details via the Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser)
(The Planning Agreement Manager responded and thought that it could be a residual amount left from a scheme. She agreed to check this amount and e mail Members with the specific details via the Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser)
(The Chief Planning Officer responded that a detailed response had been provided to the Editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post on each of the points raised in the article. In addition, the Deputy Leader of Council and a senior officer had met with the Editor to explain the position and refute the allegations made)
(The Team Leader, Strategy and Policy acknowledged that more could be done in this regard)
RESOLVED –
a) That the content of the report be noted.
b) That the Chair, on behalf of the Board, be requested to write to the Executive Member, Development and Regeneration seeking the outcome of the meeting with the Editor regarding the newspaper article and whether he intended to pursue this further through the Press Complaints Commission.
(Councillor T Grayshon joined the meeting at 11.30am during discussions of the above item)
(Councillor C Beverley left the meeting at 11.40am during discussions of the above item)
(Councillor R Downes and Councillor N Taggart left the meeting at 11.50am at the conclusion of the above item)
Supporting documents: