Agenda item

Joint report of the Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection and the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director.

The Committee received a joint report of the Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection and the Chief Planning Officer and Development Director concerning the Construction Levy Code of Practice for Deconstruction and Constructions Sites. The Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection introduced the report and advised the Committee that developers were now triggering the scheme and therefore payment was being sought from developers and contractors. The report updated Members on progress implementing the Levy scheme which had been agreed in 2017.

A Member advised that they had concerns about adverse reputational impact as a result of applying the levy, and asked about what flexibility there was in applying the scheme and the penalties for non-compliance. The scheme could also cause conflict with the District Surveyor. The Member suggested that reports on the subject should include the views of users to get feedback on the user experience. A Member added that they still felt the scheme should have a separate category for some small projects, as a levy of £5,000 was particularly harsh in some cases.

The Interim Director of Markets and Consumer Protection responded to points raised by Members. The Code would apply a series of best practices and it was not expected to create conflicts with developers. Officers intended to work with developers to ensure they take the most environmentally-friendly options available. However, there was the option of serving notice for serious non-compliance. The request for user feedback in the annual reports had been noted by officers. There was a caveat relating to very small works within Appendix L of the Code of Practice. Much of the Code of Practice provided guidance for developers about liaising with the public, which was expected of developers and could alleviate issues such as weekend working.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.