Issue - meetings

Background:

The report sought approval of an updated Guide for the collection of developer contributions to mitigate the impacts of development. The Guide set out the requirements to enhance services and infrastructure to address the demands arising from new development and was used in the determination of planning applications. The Council had consulted on the Guide and all comments made had been considered.

It was noted that in line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in could be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the Public’s interests. In this case, it would no longer be possible for Local Authorities to prepare Supplementary Planning Documents after 30 June 2026, as set out in the transitional arrangements for plan making - The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Commencement No. 11 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2026, Schedule 1. It was therefore crucial that the Guide was approved before the deadline to ensure that the Council could continue to provide an effective basis for the collection of contributions from developments to appropriately mitigate the impacts through the provision of services and infrastructure. It was therefore proposed that the call-in period be waived. The Chairperson of the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-in.

The report had also been previously considered by the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 11 June 2026, and the Cabinet thanked the Committee for its comments which were set out in the supplementary agenda.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken and was attached at Appendix 3 to the report.

Reasons:

To provide an effective basis for the collection of contributions from development to appropriately mitigate the impacts through the provision of services and infrastructure.