The County Council is concerned that the Leader of Melton Borough Council appears to be misrepresenting the issue of funding provided by developers of land and property, known as S106 contributions, in recent inaccurate statements to various parties.
Cllr Allnatt is placing blame on the County Council, members and officers, for restricting the extent to which S106 contributions can be used to support additional GP provision in Melton Mowbray.
S106 contributions are agreed as a condition of planning applications approved by Melton Borough Council, which is the Local Planning Authority. The decision on S106 contributions is a matter for the Borough Council, who specify the contributions from developers after weighing up all relevant considerations.
Cllr Allnatt complains that in 2021 before he was elected to the Borough Council, it approved a ‘Supplementary Planning Document’ and entered into financial and contractual commitments with the County Council to support the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road being built.
Funding was to be prioritised for schools and roads and also to support the Borough Council’s Local Plan. Cllr Allnatt appears to see that as having blocked funding for GP provision.
What Cllr Allnatt may have forgotten is that he chaired a Cabinet meeting on 13th September 2023 which resolved that the Borough Council remains fully committed to the commitments it entered into 2021, i.e. to prioritise funding for schools and roads.
The minutes of that Cabinet meeting show that Cllr Allnatt spoke warmly of the County Council in contrast to his current criticism.
Whilst the County Council recognises the concerns in Melton Mowbray about current GP provision, it hopes Cllr Allnatt will now want to take responsibility for his own Council’s responsibilities and decisions.
“If Cllr Allnatt wants to amend the Borough Council’s ‘Supplementary Planning Document’ and its commitments, it’s a matter for the Borough Council if they want to consult on doing so.”
Person:Leader of Leicestershire County Council, Mr Dan Harrison