Agenda item - Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) - update

Report of the Executive Director for Economy, Environment & Culture (copy attached).

1)    That the Committee agrees the updated Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) as an annexe to the City Plan Part One, attached as Appendix A to the report, subject to any minor grammatical or editorial alterations that may be made by the Director of EEC in agreement with the Chair of Tourism Development and Culture Committee.

7.1       The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment and Culture in relation to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) (Annex City Plan Part One) Update.

7.2       It was noted that the Infrastructure Delivery Plan identified the social, physical and environmental infrastructure required in the city to 2030. It was an accompanying Annex to the adopted City Plan and helped to support and deliver key objectives and policies in the Plan. The IDP was an evolving document, and as such was subject to review and required regular updating.

7.3       Councillor Druitt enquired regarding the current status of key major projects across the city and the Executive Director explained that work in relation to specifically identified sites was considered an essential element of and integral to infrastructure delivery. The Executive Director provided a brief update confirming that the contract for the Circus Street scheme was nearing completion following which demolition works would commence on site. It was anticipated that the planning application in respect of the Preston Barracks site would be considered by a special meeting of the Planning Committee after the summer recess. Negotiations in relation to the King Alfred site were on-going and the Valley Gardens Scheme was due to be considered at a meeting of the Environment, Transport Sustainability Meeting the following week.

7.4       Councillor Druitt referred to the current pressure on school places  across the city requesting to know the timescale for applying for CIL educational payments and clarification as to the purposes to which such payments could be put. It was explained that the funding required to set up a new school was greater than could be provided by CIL which could provide up to 20% of infrastructure costs but could run in concert with other bids. Clarification was also sought in respect of the council’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy use and the timeframe for that.

7.5       Councillor Mac Cafferty referred to the timescale for Clean Air bids to DEFRA which had closed recently. The ethos underpinning this aspiration was laudable, however achieving them in practice presented a significant challenge.

7.6       Councillor C Theobald sought clarification regarding proposed transport infrastructure measures.

7.7       Councillor Mears welcomed the report stating however that it was important that Members receive timely updates on progress confirming that she would be speaking to the S106 Officer separately regarding specific projects which she was interested in.

7.8       Councillor Morris stated that it was important going forward to ensure that there were suitable spaces to accommodate the large number of diverse events which took place across the city and which were continuing to grow, referring specifically to events associated with Festival fringe events.

7.9       Councillor Druitt referred to the overall sum awarded to the council seeking confirmation that works on which that money was to be sent had had been programmed in. The Head of Planning, Policy and Major Projects, Liz Hobden, confirmed that was the case

7.10    RESOLVED – That the Committee agrees the updated Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) as an annexe to the City Plan Part One, attached as Appendix A to the report, subject to any minor grammatical or editorial alterations that may be made by the Director of EEC in agreement with the Chair of Tourism Development and Culture Committee.