Planning obligations guidelines

New guidance on how and when planning obligations will be required for development in West Dorset has now been adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document. This guidance will be an important consideration in deciding planning applications as part of the Local Development Framework.

What is a planning obligation?

The occupants of new homes and other kinds of development can put pressure on and over-stretch existing community facilities and services, such as parks and play areas, community halls, libraries, bus services, schools and doctors' surgeries. As a planning authority, we can ensure that measures are put in place so that the facilities needed are delivered hand in hand with the development.

This is generally done through the use of a legally binding agreement with the owner, known as a planning obligation where the owner agrees to either (a) make a financial contribution towards facilities and services or (b) in some cases providing such services/facilities as part of the development.

A planning obligation should be submitted with the planning application and details of how to prepare can be found on the preparing a planning obligation page.

Please note: the majority of all residential development regardless of the amount of dwellings created will need to make a financial contribution.

Why have planning guidelines?

The guidelines set out clearly and fairly what planning contributions will be required, so that landowners and developers will understand the full costs of the development proposals, and local communities and service providers will have greater certainty over what will be funded.

How can I get an overview of what the likely requirements are going to be?

The planning guidelines are very detailed, which is necessary to ensure that the contributions collected relate fairly and reasonably to the type, scale and location of any development proposed.

However, there is an executive summary (pdf, 37kb) (opens in a new window) , as well as information sheets for each local area:

Beaminster area (pdf, 221kb) (opens in a new window)

Bridport area (pdf, 240kb) (opens in a new window)

Chickerell area (pdf, 154kb) (opens in a new window)

Dorchester area (pdf, 258kb) (opens in a new window)

Lyme Regis area (pdf, 158kb) (opens in a new window)

Sherborne area (pdf, 161kb) (opens in a new window)

An online planning contribution calculator (opens in a new window) can be used to calculate the likely costs for residential development. These information sheets and the calculator will be updated every year to reflect changes in building costs. The planning contribution calculator will be perfected over time to include mixed use and other types of development.

Who keeps track of what community infrastructure is provided?

The background document (pdf, 1Mb) (opens in a new window) contains a lot of information on community facilities and services in West Dorset. In particular, it covers:

Public open space
Culture and leisure facilities
Transport and highway improvements
Schools and colleges

This information will be checked through liaison with the county council, town and parish councils and other service providers on an annual basis and updated where necessary. If you know of a facility that should be included in this audit, please tell us.

How are the funds allocated?

The council has issued a protocol (pdf, 139kb) (opens in a new window) that sets out the process to be followed for allocating funding from planning obligations. This was subject to consultation, and revised and endorsed by the West Dorset Partnership in February 2011.

Who was involved in preparing the guidelines?

The council has worked closely with developers and landowners, local communities and utility and service providers in preparing these guidelines.

Before drafting the guidelines, town and parish councils were asked for their views, and workshops were held with developers and landowners, and service providers. Everyone was then invited to comment on the draft guidelines during the consultation period which ran from 27 October 2009 to 8 December 2009.

Feedback reports have been produced on these consultations, highlighting the main issues raised and how these were taken forward:

Issues and options consultation (pdf, 177kb) (opens in a new window)

Draft consultation feedback report (pdf, 261kb) (opens in a new window)

Where can I find the documents?

All the relevant documents can be downloaded from this website.

Copies are also available at the council offices in Dorchester, Bridport, Chickerell and Sherborne, and have been sent to local town and parish councils and local libraries in West Dorset and Weymouth town centre.

Copies can also be bought at the following prices:

Planning Obligations Guidelines - £7.50 plus £1 postage and packing
Planning Obligations Guidelines Summary - £1 (no charge for postage and packing)
Consultation: Feedback Report - £1.60 plus £1 postage and packing
Background Information - £2.80 plus £1 postage and packing
Single area information sheet - £1 (no charge for postage and packing, please specify area)
Planning Obligations Protocol - £1 (no charge for postage and packing)

The planning guidelines - adoption

A meeting of the Policy Scrutiny Committee was held in January 2010 to consider what changes should be made to the planning guidelines and make a recommendation to the Executive Committee. The committee papers included a detailed table of comments on the draft guidelines and how the guidelines could be revised in response to these.

The West Dorset Planning Obligations Guidelines were adopted at Executive Committee on 2 February 2010.

Who to contact for further information

If you have a particular query about a planning obligation in relation to a site, in the first instance you should talk to the development control case officer (if you have entered into discussions about a particular site). If you would like further guidance about affordable housing please talk to a housing officer in the planning policy division. If you have a more general query about planning obligations you can talk to the S106 Planning Obligations Officer.