Agenda item

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 28 July 2022 be agreed as a correct record.