Agenda item

The Committee has requested a report on the the Infrastructure Funding Statement for 2024/2025 and an update on the Section 106 Improvement Programme.

The Committee has invited Cllr Judy Roberts, Cabinet member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, to present the report as well as Robin Rogers, Director of Economy and Place, and other members of the Programme Board to answer the Committee’s questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and raise any questions, and to AGREE any recommendations it wishes to make to Cabinet arising therefrom.

The Committee welcomed Cllr Judy Roberts, Cabinet member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, to present the report as well as Robin Rogers, Director of Economy and Place, and Ian Dyson, Director of Financial and Commercial Services, to answer the Committee’s questions.

Cllr Roberts briefly introduced the Infrastructure Funding Statement and Section 106 report by explaining that it was a retrospective statutory report required for government and also included a section detailing progress made as a result of scrutiny over the past 18 months. They emphasised that significant strides had been made, both in fulfilling statutory obligations and in improving work prompted by committee input.

The Committee raised the following concerns and questions:

·       When asked if the council had learnt from other local authorities on managing and spending Section 106 funds, it was explained that the Planning Advisory Service had conducted a benchmarking review of Oxfordshire, offering recommendations. The challenges faced were said to be widespread nationally, and Oxfordshire continued to learn from others. The Committee was told the review report could be circulated. It was clarified that a previous magazine article ranking Oxfordshire poorly was based only on funds collected, not on deliverability.

·       It was clarified that the dashboard reflected only the baseline capital programme; spending from the accelerated pipeline funding approved in October had not yet been included in financial projections. Officers explained that factors such as housing completions and demographic changes impact when Section 106 funds are spent. Efforts were ongoing to enhance visibility of projected and actual spending by developing parallel tables for confirmed and anticipated projects, while governance changes are being made to accelerate delivery and improve clarity.

·       The S106 system was described as complex, with funds often fragmented and bound to specific localities and projects, making spending difficult. It was highlighted that gathering enough funding for larger schemes was a challenge, and strict legal requirements must be met. The Council recognised that the report did not fully clarify these issues, and admitted the system was less than ideal. Efforts were underway to improve transparency and to speed up expenditure, aiming to address these challenges and to ensure more effective use of the contributions.

·       Concerns were raised regarding delays in the allocation of S106 funds and a perceived lack of accountability for these postponements. The response acknowledged these frustrations and clarified that, although a dashboard was available to track disbursements, infrastructure initiatives naturally involved extended procedures such as design, consultation, and procurement. It was noted that the Council had strengthened its oversight and was systematically reviewing older projects to identify and address bottlenecks, with both the administration and officers being held accountable for progress. Additionally, the importance of member engagement in prioritising local projects was highlighted as a means to enhance accountability and responsiveness.

·       The possibility of sharing the Section 106 dashboard with localities and planning committees to enhance oversight was discussed. It was clarified that members currently had access to the dashboard and could submit queries, and that expanding the scope of information available to localities was feasible. Nonetheless, it was acknowledged that certain confidentiality concerns may limit the sharing of specific information with district councils. The objective remained to maintain transparency, and ongoing efforts were focused on refining procedures and strengthening collaboration with districts, particularly in anticipation of Local Government Reorganisation.

ACTION: The Planning Advisory Service’s report to be circulated to the Committee.

The Committee AGREED to recommendations under the following headings:

·       That the Council should ensure that local members are engaged and involved with questions of funding in their divisions;

·       That the Council should recognise the urgency of ensuring its processes are sufficient for timely spending of s.106 funds.

Committee adjourned at 11:38 and reconvened at 11:45.