Agenda item

The Planning Portfolio Holder endorsed for approval by the Cabinet

·           the Revenue Estimates as shown at Appendix A  

·           the Housing and Planning Delivery Reserve at Appendix A(1)

·           the Capital Programme as shown at Appendix B, and associated proposal forms Appendix C1 to C5

·           the level of Building Control fees for 2009-10 (paragraph 16)

and further recommended to Cabinet that

·           a ‘precautionary item’ of £100,000 in respect of Appeal and Inquiry costs be included in the list of precautionary items for 2009-10

The Planning Portfolio Holder considered a report on the Revenue Estimates up to the year 2009-10 and the Capital Programme up to the year 2011-12.

He expressed concern at the potential cost of appeals during the coming year and, while accepting that there might not be a need to call upon it, requested that appropriate provision be made in the budget.  The Principal Accountant (General Fund) explained that the best way of addressing this issue was through the precautionary fund, against which a claim could be made with the support of the Finance Portfolio Holder.

During the course of discussion, the following points were made:

·           It would be possible, in future, to vire money between the Examination in Public Budget (part of the New Communities portfolio) and Appeals Budget (part of the Planning portfolio) if both Portfolio Holders concerned, and relevant officers including the Chief Finance Officer, were in agreement

·           There had been a decrease in the level of income from planning applications, particularly Major applications

·           Charging for pre-application discussions would relate only to Major applications (not householder applications)

The Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) acknowledged that, in certain respects, South Cambridgeshire District Council faced greater development challenges than others in its traditional “family group”.  Responding to the Planning Portfolio Holder’s comment that comparisons should be made on a like-for-like basis, the Corporate Manager (Planning and Sustainable Communities) undertook to investigate whether there were any other local authorities, preferably rural ones, with growth pressures similar to those of this Council and with whom a more realistic comparison could be drawn.

The Planning Portfolio Holder endorsed for approval by the Cabinet

·           the Revenue Estimates as shown at Appendix A (as  amended downwards by £36,000 for Concessionary Fares)      

·           the Housing and Planning Delivery Reserve at Appendix A(1)

·           the Capital Programme as shown at Appendix B, and associated proposal forms Appendix C1 to C5

·           the level of Building Control fees for 2009-10 (paragraph 16)

The Planning Portfolio Holder recommended to Cabinet that

·           a ‘precautionary item’ of £100,000 in respect of Appeal and Inquiry costs be included in the list of precautionary items for 2009-10