Agenda item

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

i)      To approve the receipt of a grant for the sum of £308,333 for Strategic Planning and Development Management (government grants received).

ii)     To approve an increase in the Strategic Planning 2023/24 revenue income and expenditure budgets of £250,000 to cater for the receipt and expenditure of the grant.

iii)    To approve an increase in the Development Management 2023/24 revenue income and expenditure budgets of £58,333 to cater for receipt and expenditure of the grant.

Subject to Council approval:

i)               the grant monies will be spent in accordance with any conditions attached to the same; and Page 17 Agenda Item 6

ii)              to delegate authority to the Head of Strategic Planning to spend the grant monies, in the sum of £250,000, to procure additional project support for the delivery of the Sussex North Offsetting Water Scheme.

iii)             to delegate authority to the Head of Development Management and Building Control to spend the grant monies, in the sum of £58,333 to procure additional support to reduce the planning application backlog.

REASON

i)               By increasing the revenue income and expenditure budget in Strategic Planning and Development Management will allow the Council to receive and spend the grant offered by DLUHC.

ii)              Council must approve an increase to the budget and the Cabinet must approve expenditure in excess of £250,000.

iii)             To provide funds to help deliver the Sussex North Offsetting Water Scheme (SNOWS).

iv)             To provide additional resource to reduce the planning application backlog.

Councillor John Milne, Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure, introduced the report on the Planning Skills Delivery Fund. He explained that Cabinet was recommended to ask Council to increase the strategic planning and development management budgets so that Strategic Planning and Development Management could receive an allocated grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities(DLUHC).

Notification of the receipt of the grant was only advised in December 2023 and not known when the 2023/24 annual budget was set.

The grant was for the sum of £308,333, £250,000 would be used to help deliver solutions to water neutrality and £58,333 to assist with reducing the backlog of planning applications.

Further information was awaited from DLUHC which would set out more detail as to how the grant can be spent. Discussions were also planned with the Council’s water neutrality partners in other affected Local Authority areas to consider the options for using the water neutrality funds in due course.

In response to comments raised regarding the rationale used to divide the funding, it was explained that the grant of £250k was a joint bid submitted on behalf of the Council and neighbouring water neutrality partners which enabled more funding to be applied for. The £58,333 grant was specifically allocated to Development Management.

In response to comments raised regarding lobbying the Government to assist Parish and Neighbourhood Council’s Plans and controlling speculative development, the Cabinet Member advised that the Memorandum of Understanding was awaited from DLUHC. This would offer specific advice on where money could be spent. It was also stated that assistance was being provided by the Council for Neighbourhood Planning groups as part of the work of the Strategic Planning team.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL

i)      To approve the receipt of a grant for the sum of £308,333 for Strategic Planning and Development Management (government grants received).

ii)     To approve an increase in the Strategic Planning 2023/24 revenue income and expenditure budgets of £250,000 to cater for the receipt and expenditure of the grant.

iii)    To approve an increase in the Development Management 2023/24 revenue income and expenditure budgets of £58,333 to cater for receipt and expenditure of the grant.

RESOLVED, subject to Council approval:

i)               that monies be spent in accordance with any conditions attached to the same; and Page 17 Agenda Item 6

ii)              that authority be delegated to the Head of Strategic Planning to spend the grant monies, in the sum of £250,000, to procure additional project support for the delivery of the Sussex North Offsetting Water Scheme.

iii)             that authority be delegated to the Head of Development Management and Building Control to spend the grant monies, in the sum of £58,333 to procure additional support to reduce the planning application backlog.

REASON

i)               By increasing the revenue income and expenditure budget in Strategic Planning and Development Management will allow the Council to receive and spend the grant offered by DLUHC.

ii)              Council must approve an increase to the budget and the Cabinet must approve expenditure in excess of £250,000.

iii)             To provide funds to help deliver the Sussex North Offsetting Water Scheme (SNOWS).

iv)             To provide additional resource to reduce the planning application backlog.