Councils welcome streamlined planning process

13 Nov 03
Local authorities are to be given new powers to charge developers that apply for planning permission.

14 November 2003

Local authorities are to be given new powers to charge developers that apply for planning permission.

The money raised will pay for affordable housing for key workers as well as new facilities such as roads, parks and public transport. It will replace the long-winded planning agreements normally negotiated between councils and developers.

The proposals, unveiled by housing and planning minister Keith Hill, were warmly welcomed by the Local Government Association as an important step towards speeding up the planning process.

Councils will be required to set out a scale of charges in local development plans based, for example, on units of housing or square metres of retail floor space. It will be up to developers to decide whether to pay the charge or negotiate a 'section 106' agreement with the council. Section 106 allows authorities to force developers to construct socially beneficial buildings in their developments.

Speaking at the LGA's housing conference on November 6, Hill said the optional charge should reflect the impact a new development will have on the local community, and would 'make the planning system faster and more transparent'.

Susie Kemp, chair of the LGA's planning executive, said it was looking forward to agreeing the finer details of the scheme with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. 'Local authorities are best placed to decide the charges most suitable for developments in their area,' she said.

The Chartered Institute of Housing supported the charges in principle, but warned it was vital that the potential end of section 106 agreements did not lead to fewer mixed-tenure communities. 'Affordable housing must be fully integrated into new developments,' said CIH policy officer Mark Gibson.

PFnov2003

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