Agenda and minutes

Councillor Fabian Breckels was elected as Chair.

The Chair welcomed those present and noted apologies from Councillor Jude English and  Councillor Nicola Beech.

Member’s reviewed the actions from the previous meeting and in discussion the following points were raised:

1. It was noted that the impact of inflation had resulted in 30% higher construction costs, with the price of materials such as timber and tarmac having increased higher than the general rate of inflation.  In addition, it was noted that this may be contributing to the reasons that contractors appeared to be turning work down.

2. There was a need to review the cost and delivery of approved projects and make a judgement whether to reduce the scope of the scheme to fit the new constraints, deliver part schemes that could be improved upon at a later date or take the decision not to progress the project.

ACTION: Officers to provide guidance on the impact of construction inflation on the cost and delivery of approved projects.

3. It was noted that Members should contact transport and parks officers direct to obtain reasons for delay on individual projects to enable them to feed back to residents in a timely way between meetings.

4. It was noted that if Council Officers came across a scheme that could no longer be delivered, they must communicate with the relevant councillors and the Chair to consider available options eg to scale back.

5. It was agreed that an additional meeting be scheduled for February 2023.  Members would receive a project update and could then report back to communities with the current position.

6. Members were reminded that they had decided not to include the contingency budget in their project allocations for Parks.  Members asked that the February report highlight the projects where there was a risk of insufficient funding allocation to deliver the agreed scheme.

ACTION: Officers to provide an update report detailing the parks and transport schemes that had been agreed with the current timescales for completion, new projected costs for delivery and those at risk due to insufficient funds.

7. A number of questions had been raised at the last meeting in relation to CIL, and the responses are set out below:

Responses to queries July 2022:

·         Our CIL Rates took effect on 1 January 2013 and increase annually on 1 January each year by a government prescribed index over which we have no control. This index is based on increases in build costs (not property values). 

·         The CIL payable by a given development is based on the increase in the CIL Rate from 2013 to the year in which the relevant development is granted a planning consent.

·         The current level of our CIL Rates is published on our website at the following link:

·         Bristol City Council Annual Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Rate Summary 2022

·         CIL does not accrue interest once it is received by the Council.

8. It was confirmed that CIL funds could not be deposited into an account to accrue interest.

OUTSTANDING ACTION: Officers to provide a map of where trees had finally been planted at the next meeting.

The Committee

RESOLVED: that the Minutes of the previous Meeting held on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

There were no declarations of interest made.

Members of the public may make a written statement ask a question or present a petition to most meetings. Your statement or question will be sent to the Committee and be available in the meeting room one hour before the meeting.

Please submit it to democratic.services@bristol.gov.uk or Democratic Services Section, City Hall, College Green, Bristol BS1 5UY. The following requirements apply:

. The statement is received no later than 12.00 noon on the working day before the meeting (Wednesday 7^th December 2022) and is about a matter which is the responsibility of the committee concerned.

. The question is received no later than 5pm three clear working days before the meeting (Friday 2^nd Decmber 2022).

There were no items of Public Forum received.

Minute Extract – Development Control A Committee – Wednesday 15th December 2021

The Committee noted the request from Development Control A Committee to consider allocating sums from the CIL funding to Castle Park improvements. In discussion the following points were raised:

9. It was acknowledged that Castle Park was unusual in that it was a strategic site and resource for the City, but may also be subject to local proposals.

10. Some Members were of the view that Castle Park improvements should be covered by strategic CIL funding whilst others suggested that requests for allocations of funding from the Area Committee 4 could be considered on a case-by-case basis.

11. Members asked for clarification on the definition of strategic CIL and where and how it was being allocated.

12. Members were keen to put a case forward for strategic CIL to be allocated to Area Committee 4 locations and wanted to understand whether there was any existing strategic CIL monies currently tied to Area 4.

13. It was noted that information about how funding was allocated and spent was publicly available on the Council’s website How we spend CIL money (bristol.gov.uk)

14. Members agreed to defer the Development Control request to the Mayor’s Office.

The Committee

RESOLVED to defer the Development Control request to the Mayor’s Office.

Progress update on CIL & S106-funded projects approved at previous Area Committee Meetings

15. The Committee noted the progress update on previously-approved Area Committee projects and the publication of 6-monthly updates that had been introduced and published on the Bristol City Council webpage.

Allocation of CIL and Section 106 Funds

16. Members noted that the General AC4 expenditure available had been updated since publication with an additional £53k which brought the total to £380,518.86.  Reducing the overcommitted sum to £42k

17. It was noted that due to the staggered timing of receipts of CIL from developments in the City and the timing of required draw down of CIL allowance and spend it was standard procedure to have some pre-commitment of CIL funding for projects until such time as the approved funding allocation had accrued.

18. Members considered the projects that had been invited to submit Stage 2 Full Proposals.

19. It was noted that the AC4PO12 Old Market stage 2 proposal required a formal decision to allocate the funding.  Members agreed that it would be useful to hear from the proposers how the work aligned to the neighbourhood plan.

Action : Officers to invite the proposer to the next meeting to talk it through

20. Members reviewed Proposal AC4PO5 Regeneration of Bloy Street Square and it was confirmed that VCSE organisations could not be commissioned to carry out the work of the highway authority or project manage it.  However, there was potential to split the work of the project to determine what each side could do. Members agreed to the project in principle subject to further consultation. Transport Manager considered that £30,000 may be needed for this project.  It was agreed to defer the formal decision to the February meeting where delivery mechanisms could be discussed.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.