Wilsden Neighbourhood Plan 2020-2038
9 DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS
9.1 Development can bring significant benefits to the local community, including new homes and jobs. It can also have negative impacts, for example, where additional demand is placed on facilities and services which are already at or near capacity. Planning conditions and obligations which are considered in the NPPF, paragraphs 55 – 58 show how these may be used to secure infrastructure or funding from a developer. For example, a planning obligation might be used to secure a financial contribution towards improving existing recreational facilities or affordable housing. However, planning obligations can only be sought where they are necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms directly related to the development and fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development.
9.2 The main process through which developer contributions are assessed is through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which will require developers to make a payment to CBMDC based on the size and type of development that is proposed. The proceeds of the levy will then be used to provide infrastructure necessary to support growth across the district. A proportion of these CIL receipts will automatically be devolved to the relevant Parish Council for allocation to neighbourhood priorities. This proportion is set at 25% in areas where there is a Neighbourhood Plan in force. CBMDC introduced a CIL Charging Schedule from July 2017 and this will be the main mechanism for collecting developer contributions. In addition, Section 106 agreements will be used for securing affordable housing through the planning system and will also be used to mitigate the direct impact of the development proposed, for site specific measures to make a development acceptable in planning terms.
9.3 Through the preparation of the Plan, the Parish Council in conjunction with the community and other stakeholders has identified a small number of priority projects they wish to secure funding (either in whole or in part) through the use of planning obligations.
POLICY W/DC1 DEVELOPER CONTRIBUTIONS
Financial contributions towards off-site provision of neighbourhood infrastructure obtained either through the Community Infrastructure Levy or negotiated planning obligations will, as appropriate, be used to deliver investment into a number of areas consistent with the broad objectives identified in this Neighbourhood Plan. These overall objectives would include the following:
- Investment in improved community and recreational facilities, especially at Wilsden Village Hall.
- Investment in projects to enhance Wilsden Conservation Area.
- Investment in projects to enhance the important local green spaces.
- Investment in local transport infrastructure as specified in Policy W/TA1, W/TA2 and W/TA3.
- Investment in the repair and maintenance of Dry Stone Walls.
Where appropriate, developers are encouraged to engage with the Parish Council prior to the preparation of any planning application to confirm these and other local objectives, ensuring that where appropriate and viable, the facilities proposed to complement any development proposals reflect these aspirations.