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Development Contributions

Larger planning applications might be asked to contribute to wider community benefits and schemes when proposing development within the district.

The primary objective of the planning system is to deliver sustainable development. Sometimes developers offer, or local authorities seek, legal agreements (known as section 106 agreements or planning obligations) to secure improvements to a planning application to provide a more sustainable form of development.

Examples of matters covered by such agreements are provision of affordable housing within new development; off site highway or drainage improvements; or financial contributions to upgrade local schools and other facilities so they can cope with increased population arising from a development.

Developers may offer to include these, or we may ask for them to be included for the benefit of the wider community. It is a justifiable part of a planning decision.

The Communities and Local Government department provide detailed guidance in ODPM Circular 05/05.

Government advice is that extra inducements which go beyond this so-called planning gain should not affect the outcome of a planning decision. This is because it is not legitimate for unacceptable development to be permitted just because of benefits or inducements offered by way of planning obligations.

Our policy

Planning obligations provide a means of ensuring that developers contribute towards the infrastructure and services that Lewes District Council, or East Sussex County Council, consider necessary to facilitate the proposed development. A protocol between the two authorities was agreed in November 2004.

Contributions can be both in the form of cash or in-kind.

We have sought developer contributions to support more sustainable development and have Supplementary Planning Guidance which cover contributions to provision of play space, affordable housing and kerbside recycling. East Sussex County Council have their own Supplementary Planning Guidance covering education and accessibility contributions which is viewable via the external links section on this page.

We have a schedule setting out the sites from which developer contributions have been provided.


Documents

A schedule setting out the sites from which developer contributions have been provided, the money and how they have been spent.
PDF Development Contributions Spreadsheet (last updated 10 Nov 2009) (0.03mb)