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Planning Obligations Strategy

At its meeting held on 23rd October 2009, the Joint Committee formally adopted the Planning Obligations Strategy for Southern Bedfordshire. As set out in the report to Committee, the strategy will be applied to all planning applications registered on or after 5th January 2010. The purpose of the strategy is to offer consistency and transparency to all those involved in planning and delivering new development across Southern Bedfordshire.  Planning Obligations are a recognised delivery mechanism for matters that are necessary to make a development both sustainable and acceptable in planning terms.  

Cumulatively, even small scale developments create significant additional demands for new infrastructure, services and facilities within an area.  It is important therefore, that new development makes commensurate contributions towards new and improved local infrastructure where that development will add to infrastructure needs and requirements. In the past, obligations for housing schemes have tended to be sought only from larger scale developments of more than 10 dwellings for example. The use of standard charges ensures that small-scale development can reasonably and fairly make contributions towards infrastructure. Therefore, contributions will be expected to be made from developments as small as 1 dwelling. 

Applicants are encouraged to engage with the Council in pre-application discussions to identify the nature and scope of obligations necessary to the particular development. Subject to the requirements of the local validation checklist, for applications of less than 10 dwellings, a unilateral undertaking must be submitted with the necessary planning application forms. For applications of more than 10 dwellings, either a Planning Performance Agreement is entered into or Heads of Terms of a Section 106 Agreement submitted with the necessary planning application forms. Failure to do this may result in the planning application not being validated.  You are requested to therefore contact Development Management on 0300 300 8670

Commerical and/or Residential Planning Obligations Contributions Calculators for South Area (Version 1: 7th January 2009)

Template agreements

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