Planning Obligations Community Benefit Strategy
Introduction
LTGDC adopted a Planning Obligations Community Benefit Strategy (POCBS) in March 2008. This is to ensure that developments contribute financially and in kind towards the infrastructure that is needed in the London Thames Gateway area to support the developments that are coming forward for planning approval. The Strategy was reviewed in 2009-10 and a revised version of the POCBS was adopted in July 2010. The Standard Legal Agreement has also been updated.
Revised Planning Obligations Community Strategy July 2010
Standard Legal Agreement – Updated July 2010
2009-10 Review
At the point of adoption, the Board noted a commitment to review the Standard Charge and Discounted Standard Charge in 2009, and that this process should be done collaboratively with the Management Groups and Developer Liaison Groups. LTGDC re-commissioned Environmental Resources Management (ERM), who had assisted in the development of the original Strategy, to review the process and level of charge, in light of its initial period of operation and any impacts in relation to the current economic climate. Consultation took place October 2009 – January 2010 and a number of comments were received. LTGDC has reviewed the comments and the consultation response schedule below sets out how the revised Strategy responds to the comments raised.
FAQ – Response to issues raise in consultation: July 2010 update
Consultation Response schedule (2009-10)
Current Operation of the Strategy
London Riverside
Planning powers for LTGDC’s London Riverside Area transferred to the relevant boroughs on 1st April 2011. Therefore the boroughs now have responsibility for agreeing and monitoring section 106 agreements as part of their duties as local planning authority.Â
Lower Lea Valley
An area-based Lower Lea Valley pooled fund has been established and the LLV Management Group, together with the Developer and Landowner Liaison Group assist in determining how these funds are best prioritised, in accordance with the Public Sector Investment Plan, to help fund essential infrastructure required for the regeneration of the area.
LTGDC has negotiated more than £55m to date via the tariff for strategic infrastructure (in addition to £25m for other specific benefits) and has received £3m in contributions. The tariff is included within 12 signed S106 agreements, and a further three agreements are under negotiation. Projects funded to date include:
- Carpenters Road improvement scheme
- Canning Town Roundabout removal
- Renewable Energy School Demo Projects
- West Ham bus garage road improvements
- DLR Daisy Displays
- LLV bus route study
- Air Quality Monitoring
- Eastway Bridge Widening and Associated works to allow 2 way buses
- Carpenters to Station Access Improvements
- Bromley by Bow Station Access Improvements
- Stratford Cultural Quarter public realm works
Background Documents
Linked below are the technical reports and related background documents:
Revised Planning Obligations Community Strategy July 2010 (track changes)
ERM Technical Review, Final Report, October 2009
ERM Technical Review, Annexes, October 2009
Lower Lea Valley – Public Sector Investment Plan
London Riverside – Public Sector Investment Plan
Previous Consultation
Several rounds of consultation have taken place throughout the development and adoption of the Strategy and a wide range of responses were received, which have informed the approach to planning obligations set out by LTGDC in the Strategy.
In summary, previous consultation on the POCBS took place:
- December 2006 – January 2007 on the technical reports
- August – November 2007 on the detailed provisions within the Strategy
- January – February 2008 on specific final details
- October 2009 – January 2010 on revisions to the Strategy
Relationship with Community Infrastructure Levy
The 2009-10 review of the Strategy considered changes to the legal and policy context since the Strategy was adopted in March 2008. The main change is the introduction of a standardised infrastructure charge in the form of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The Regulations that govern the operation of CIL were introduced in April 2010 and include measures to restrict the use of tariffs and tie S106 obligations to site specific issues. The introduction of CIL therefore has the potential to limit the operation of the Strategy, but it is not until April 2014 that S106 is formally restricted so as to prevent tariffs and it is likely to be several years before boroughs are in a position to implement CIL. Therefore the review concluded that there have been no substantive changes which require LTGDC to reconsider the Strategy as a whole.
Developer and Landowner Liaison Groups
LTGDC has committed to keeping developers and landowners involved and informed in the provision of infrastructure and expenditure of monies collected under the terms of the strategy. If you are a developer or landowner with an interest in the Lower Lea Valley or London Riverside areas, LTGDC would like to invite you to become a member of the Developer Liaison Group that has been established. Attendees at previous meetings include major house-builders and developers, London First, RSLs, major landowners in the area, planning and surveying consultancies, architectural firms and utilities and infrastructure providers.
Please contact Alice Leach: alice.leach@ltgdc.org.uk if you would like to attend or find out the dates of the meetings.
