What contribution to Sydenham should developers make?

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Tim Lund
Posts: 6718
Joined: 13 Mar 2008 18:10
Location: Silverdale

What contribution to Sydenham should developers make?

Post by Tim Lund »

Another consultation document about what sort of things the Council, in granting planning permission to developers, should ask for. This is our opportunity to think ahead
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK CONSULTATION
DRAFT PLANNING OBLIGATIONS SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT

The London Borough of Lewisham is currently consulting the community and stakeholders on the Draft Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA).

Background Information
Development often places additional demand on the Borough’s community services and infrastructure. The Council currently requires contributions or ‘planning obligations’ from developers through negotiated legal agreements which go towards the provision of additional community facilities, services and infrastructure. Central government Circular 05/2005 ‘Planning Obligations’ states that Local Planning Authorities should set out detailed guidance on the type and scale of obligations likely to be required.

The Draft Planning Obligations SPD sets out a framework of contributions required for various developments and a means of calculating these contributions. The Draft Planning Obligations SPD will provide the community, developers and the Council with a greater level of certainty regarding contributions to be levied.

Consultation Documents
The Draft Planning Obligations SPD, Sustainability Appraisal and accompanying documents will be available to view at Planning Reception, 5th Floor Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, Catford SE6 4RU between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm from Monday to Friday and will be available at all libraries in the Borough during their normal operating hours. The documents can also be viewed on the Lewisham Council website at the below link:

http://www.lewisham.gov.uk/Environment/ ... onsSPD.htm


I would like to invite all interested parties to comment on the document in writing by 2nd April 2010. Representations should be sent to Sarah-Ann Wilks, Planning Policy, Lewisham Council, Laurence House, 1 Catford Road, SE6 4RU or by email to Sarah-Ann.Wilks@Lewisham.gov.uk to arrive no later than 5.00pm.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any aspect of the process further please feel free to contact me.

Yours sincerely


Sarah-Ann Wilks
Planning Policy
London Borough of Lewisham
Ph: 0208 314 6442
Email: Sarah-ann.wilks@lewisham.gov.uk
stone-penge
Posts: 292
Joined: 5 Nov 2004 14:40
Location: Newlands park

Post by stone-penge »

Perhaps a more important issue is whether Councils properly use the section 106 gains to the purposes they state or do they just pocket the money to keep council tax down?
Tim Lund
Posts: 6718
Joined: 13 Mar 2008 18:10
Location: Silverdale

Post by Tim Lund »

Stone-penge:

Possibly, but the more aware people are of the whole issue, and the more they do get involved in shaping what ought to be done, the greater the chance of influencing what does get done.

OTOH - on what basis do you suggest section 106 money just gets pocketed?

My own direct experience goes back to when I was the chair of a residents' association in Peckham, when I wrote a speculative letter which elicited £50K from a developer. The money stayed with Southwark for at least as long as I lived there because we were not able to develop a coherent plan for how to use it. Maybe if we had thought more about such things in advance we would have made more progress. Making 'planning gain' work for the community requires something from citizens as well.
mummycat
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Joined: 8 May 2007 12:10
Location: not se26

Post by mummycat »

My experience also goes back to my Southwark activism in the mid 90's - we were living in Surrey Quays and a leisure park was proposed opposite our house. We reformed a residents' association to oppose this and invited Simon Hughes MP to our meeting to discuss the plans. In his words "the poor people of Peckham" needed leisure facilities and this was the right site with the right links (the Jubilee Line was coming).

It was clear that Southwark Council weren't going to consider the little people and so we decided to work with the developers and stakeholders for our benefit. The whole project was bodged by Morrisons - for instance the rubble was buried under the car park, so it ended up 4 ft too high, which meant car lights shining through lounge windows, etc. so we negotiated suitable shrubbery to be planted. Of course we were concerned with crime, litter, pollution (including noise and light) and met regularly with managers which concluded in £5K each year direct payment from the main stakeholder to our Residents' Association account for provision and maintenance of bins, security lighting, gating, etc. Plus, we negotioated 25% all restaurants and bars in the leisure park and OAP rate at the cinema.

Of course we had prepared a shopping list and this was only a percentage of what we had asked for!

Since then (1997) there are now plans to build high density housing in the car park which is causing further problems. The cinema and the bowling alley are proposed in the same building, etc. http://www.canadawater.org/latest.html#SQLP
stone-penge
Posts: 292
Joined: 5 Nov 2004 14:40
Location: Newlands park

Post by stone-penge »

ttp://www.london.gov.uk/search/google_appliance/who gains


First docs on list
Chap 2.15-2.17 & all of Chap 6 make interesting reading
Tim Lund
Posts: 6718
Joined: 13 Mar 2008 18:10
Location: Silverdale

Post by Tim Lund »

Interesting Stone-Penge You missed out a bit of the link, so here it is again

http://www.london.gov.uk/search/google_ ... ho%20gains

Tim
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