Issue - meetings

To receive and consider the report of the Director of Planning and Property.

To approve the inclusion of a S106 monitoring fee in the upcoming annual review of Fees and Charges Schedule.

Councillor Alistair Morwood, Executive Member for Planning and Development, presented the report of the Director of Planning and Property for Members to consider the addition of a monitoring fee for Section 106 planning obligations agreements into the Council’s upcoming Fees and Charges schedule.

Members were aware that Section 106 agreements were commonly signed with developers to deliver funds and activity to make development acceptable. Many local planning authorities charged a fee to cover the cost of the monitoring and reporting on delivery of S106 obligations, but Chorley Council did not.

Given the amount of staff time required, it was proposed that monitoring fees be added to new S106 agreements associated with planning applications in Chorley. Monitoring fees would not be sought retrospectively for historic agreements.

The fees, as set out in the report, were considered proportionate, in line with other Lancashire authorities and would contribute to the Council’s reasonable costs of monitoring each obligation.

Resolved (unanimously)

To approve the inclusion of a S106 monitoring fee in the upcoming annual review of Fees and Charges Schedule.

Reasons for recommendations

The regulations allow us to charge for the monitoring of Section 106 agreements and payments. The income will assist with the Council’s statutory obligations on monitoring and reporting.

Other options considered and rejected

The Council currently does not charge. There is an option to charge which is therefore the only alternative option.