As Planning Authorities in North Wales ever more rigorously apply SPG to their LDP polices, setting out their aspirations to deliver affordable housing, public open space and other requirements, we are increasingly finding schemes are moving through to permissions with either conditions or S106 obligations to deal with these. The effect of which requires commuted sums to be paid for off-site provision, in lieu of it on-site.
In the last 24 hours, we have been approached to offer advise on a two schemes, totalling 8 flats in two town centre conversion schemes where sums of over £60000 are being sought on a commuted basis by the Councils involved.
Both situations have involved the use of very capable but generalist design advisors up to the stage where planning has been or is about to be granted. Neither are Planning Specialists (as we are) and it appears neither client has factored such costs to their viability - simply because they were not told.
There are policy and legal duties relating to the use of conditions and S106 obligations and we can always advise whether these will apply to a development from the outset. We assist in establishing such potential costs (often and preferably pre-acquisition so that they can be factored into development viability and land value calculations). We may well be able to challenge or reduce the scale of charges through careful examination of the development, policy background to the requests and assessment of the viability of your development.
Please contact us for assistance before its too late.
P
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