North Kesteven District Council
Community Infrastructure Levy Examination
Examiner: Matthew Birkinshaw BA(Hons) Msc MRTPI
Programme Officer: Hannah Charlish
[email protected]
Stephen Priestley
Housing Strategy and Growth Manager
North Kesteven District Council
District Council Offices
Kesteven Street
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7EF
Dear Mr Priestley,
North Kesteven District Council Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
Examination
Initial Questions to the Council
I have completed my initial review of the Council’s draft Charging Schedule,
along with the representations made in respect of the North Kesteven CIL and
have some initial questions to which I would be grateful for the Council’s
response.
Affordable Housing Thresholds
As you will be aware, Policy LP11 of the Submission Version Central Lincolnshire
Local Plan requires the provision of affordable housing on all qualifying
development sites of 4 dwellings or more. This formed the basis of the Council’s
Viability Study (dated April 2016). However, during the recent Hearing sessions
as part of the Examination of the Local Plan a Main Modification to Policy LP11
was agreed by the Central Lincolnshire Joint Strategic Planning Committee. To
align Policy LP11 with national planning policy the modification seeks to increase
the threshold of qualifying sites to 11 dwellings or more, or on development
sites of less than 11 units if the total floorspace would exceed 1,000m 2.
I would therefore be grateful if the Council could explain, with reference to
updated tables where required, what impact (if any) this would have on the
Viability Study and its conclusions on CIL rates?
Regulation 123 List
The draft Regulation 123 List states that the Council will spend and distribute
CIL Revenue on the Lincoln Eastern Bypass (LEB). During the recent
Examination of the Submission Local Plan it was confirmed that funding had
been secured for the LEB, and that work was due to start on site in 2017. What
implications does this have on the funding gap for this, and other projects
identified in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan? Is there still a requirement for
contributions from CIL in this regard? Where is this set out?
The draft Regulation 123 List also refers to secondary education and schoolbased post-16 education. However, Policy LP28 of the Submission Local Plan
requires each of the SUEs to provide, where applicable, secondary education onsite, or, a contribution to provision elsewhere. Is secondary education on the
SUEs intended to be provided through CIL, or secured through other measures
such as Section 106 Agreements? How has this been factored into the viability
evidence?
Hearing Dates
Based on what I have read and the requests from interested parties to be heard
at examination, it is anticipated that a 1 day hearing will be required. It is also
my understanding that the preference for the three Councils in Central
Lincolnshire (City of Lincoln, North Kesteven and West Lindsey) is that separate
hearings are held. With this in mind the Programme Officer informs me that a
provisional date of Tuesday 28 February has been confirmed for the North
Kesteven CIL Examination, Thursday 2 March for West Lindsey District Council
and Friday 3 March for the City of Lincoln. Wednesday 1 March is to be held in
reserve should the first day overrun, bearing in mind that it may take longer to
cover some of the ‘aligned’ evidence.
In order to satisfy the CIL Regulations with regard to notification of the
Hearings, and to allow sufficient time for the preparation of any statements, I
would wish for the notifications to be published no later than Friday 27 January.
Prior to this I will forward, through the Programme Officer, a draft Hearing
Programme, Examination Guidance Note and Matters, Issues and Questions for
Examination (MIQs).
In order to keep to this timetable I would therefore be grateful for any responses
to the above initial questions by Monday 16 January at the latest.
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Matthew Birkinshaw
Matthew Birkinshaw
Examiner
5 January 2017