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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 3.4, 3rd Floor, 5 Strand, London, WC2 5HR. View directions

Contact: Reuben Segal, Senior Committee and Governance Officer  Tel: 020 7641 3160; Email:  rsegal@westminster.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Membership

To note that Councillor Robert Davis has replaced Councillor Danny Chalkley. 

 

Councillor Daniel Astaire has been appointed as Chairman.

Minutes:

1.1       It was noted that Councillor Robert Davis had replaced Councillor Danny Chalkley.

2.

Declarations of Interests

To receive declarations by Members and Officers of the existence and nature of any personal or prejudicial interests in matters on this agenda.

Minutes:

2.1       Councillor Astaire declared that he is a trustee of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation which is a supporter of the Sir Simon Milton Westminster University technical College.

 

2.2       Councillor Davis declared that he is a trustee of the Sir Simon Milton Foundation which is a supporter of the Sir Simon Milton Westminster University technical College.  He also declared that he is the Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Westminster Employment Service and for large public realm schemes and is one of the Ward councillors that represents Queensway.

 

2.3       Councillor Harvey declared that as the Cabinet Member for Environment, Sports and Leisure a number of the projects recommended for approval fall within his portfolio.

3.

Terms of Reference pdf icon PDF 6 KB

Minutes:

3.1       Officers tabled the following amendment to the Terms of Reference (in bold) for clarification purposes:

 

2. (iv)  

 

To take decisions on spending proposals for CIL and strategic section 106 funds submitted by the officer working group or to refer decisions to Cabinet as appropriate.

 

3.2       RESOLVED: That the Terms of Reference, as amended for clarification purposes, be noted.

4.

Governance of the Westminster Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Pooled Section 106 Resources pdf icon PDF 919 KB

Report of the Executive Director of Policy, Performance and Communication.

Minutes:

 

4.1                     Westminster’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge applied to development to help fund strategic and neighbourhood infrastructure that is required to support the development of Westminster. Westminster’s CIL was formally introduced on 1st May 2016 and as of the 30 September 2017 a total of £7,444,076 had been received.

 

4.2         The majority of this funding had been received since April 2017 and as the funds have accrued the availability of CIL has encouraged proposals to be put forward to deliver projects that, as well as dealing with demands placed on infrastructure to support new development, can also deliver wider benefits to the local community.

 

4.3         The Cabinet CIL Committee, as appointed by Cabinet, met to consider and agree a policy spending statement that sets out the eligibility criteria for considering future proposals for funding from Westminster’s CIL at both a strategic and neighbourhood level. Taking account of this the Committee also considered the first allocations from the Strategic CIL expenditure as well as funding for priority projects from a number of Section 106 pooled resources.   

 

4.4         Julia Corkey, Director of Policy, Performance and Communications, introduced the report. She explained that the proposals put forward for funding from Westminster’s CIL were the result of extensive work by officers to identify projects that meet the eligibility criteria as set out in the draft policy CIL spending statement, balanced against the available CIL monies.

 

4.5         Officers tabled additional representations that had been received since the publication of the agenda and the committee was invited to consider the submissions. The Central London Clinical Commissioning Group had written confirming their support for improvements to the Paddington Green Health Centre to increase capacity for new growth. This supported the recommendation made at Paragraph 2.1, sub paragraph 9.(i) of the report. Councillor Prendergast had put forward projects for development and consideration of funding in relation to Elgin Road/Randolph Avenue junction improvements and a cycle hire docking station at a site in Maida Vale.

 

4.6         The chairman thanked officers for their work in bringing the proposals forward and advised that he was in favour of the recommendations. He explained that a number of questions had been raised whether the expenditure approval of CIL was an Executive Function. Having received legal advice he was satisfied that it is entirely legal for a Cabinet Committee to authorise expenditure of CIL as it is the exercise of an executive function, which is the sole preserve of the Cabinet.

 

4.7         With reference to recommendation 2.1, sub paragraph 6. (i) he stated that there had been some concern from officers regarding the significant level of S106 pooled funding proposed for the Westminster Employment Service. He advised that he did not share the concerns given that getting people into work is a City for All priority. This was supported by Councillors Davis and Harvey.

 

4.8         Councillor Davis requested where councillors put forward projects that could potentially benefit from CIL or S106 funding that officers consult with the other councillors representing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Any Other Business Which the Chairman Considers Urgent