Strategic Spending of Developers ContributionsBournemouth and Poole Borough Councils

Poole L17 Policy and context The Green Card system Scoring against corporate

priorities

Bournemouth Re-visiting Section 106 Allocations Borough wide planning

Planning obligations: Recreational Contributions

(L17 Policy)‘Residential development should make provision for recreation facilities directly related to, and necessary for, the development, having regard to the type, location, scale and cumulative impact of the development proposed.

Amenity open space and provision for casual play will be provided on-site if the development is of a size sufficient to justify the provision of an area of at least 0.2 ha. Where the area of open space is less than this, and in the case of equipped children's play, youth and adult outdoor play and other recreation facilities will be provided off- site’.

Context of PooleTotal collected under L17 policy £6,238,816

Total allocated to date £3,533,899

Total unallocated to date £2,704,917

Perception of large ‘pots of money’ but reality is very different…

Allocation of fundsTo Borough Wide facilities:

Major Built Facilities

Youth/Adult Outdoor Play

Remainder paid into ward based funds in which the

development is taking place:

Equipped Children’s Play

Casual Play

Amenity Open Space

A % of casual play & amenity open space is collected for

improvements to the following strategic outdoor facilities:

Beaches

Upton Country Park

Poole Park

The Green Card – to assist spending more strategicallyPlease read the accompanying notes, complete the front of this form

and forward it with any additional information to the address overleaf:

Before completing this form you are advised to contact Technical and Development Team to discuss the project. They will be able to advise you: about potential funding; whether your proposals meet the relevant criteria; on timescales; and about providing evidence of local need and potential benefits

Call the Technical & Development Team on 01202 265265 or email: r.nicholson@poole.gov.uk

Proposer name: Contact email: Contact phone: Organisation/BoP Service Unit Date

Please use a separate sheet if necessary

1. Give the address of the site or describe its location: (Please attach a plan)

2. Describe the current use of the land:

3. Describe your proposal:

4. Does the proposal need planning permission? Yes No (check with Poole’s Planning Dept* and record name/date/time and advice given)

5. What consultation have you carried out?**

6a. Have you discussed this idea with Ward Councillors? Yes No 6b. What were their responses?

For internal use only

Ref No: /

L17 Criteria Does the project meet L17 criteria?

Ward Cllrs Is there Ward Councillor support?

Strategic fit Does the project meet the Strategic priorities?

Consultation Have local residents and user groups been consulted and are they supportive?

Feasibility Has Leisure Services the capacity to deliver the project?

In house or externally?

Is there funding available and can site constraints be overcome?

Business plan Is it in the current Business Plan?

DDA or legislation

Is this a project required by DDA or other legislation?

PPG17 Does the project conform to PPG17 survey results?

Funding pressures

Are there other demands on the funding?

Open Spaces Strategy

Is the project within the OSS?

Suitability Is the scheme suitable for the proposed location?

Alternative sources of funding?

Conclusion:

Project accepted subject to workload

Project not accepted

Why?

Applicant notified of decision (method & date)

Signed Date

The Green Card System Green card received by Leisure Services.

Unique number, date and ward attached

Is funding available or potentially available?

No Hold for Action file

Yes

Planning Obligations Officers meeting ranks the list

Report to Planning Obligations sub group for discussion/approval

Develop schemes in line with ranking priorities

Report to Planning Obligations sub

group for funding

Remove from ranking list and on to awaiting/to -do list

Checks carried out at next Planning Obligations Officers meeting

Priority work list drawn up

Prioritising schemes against corporate priorities

Scoring 0 5 10 15 20

Does not support priority Poorly supports the

priority Begins to support the

priority Supports the priority

Fully supports the priority

How much will [add project name] contribute to these corporate priorities?

Score Planning obs funding

1-20 Weighting Total Notes

Supporting Children and Young People

.5

Promoting Health and well-being

1

Protecting Poole’s Environment

1

Strengthening our communities

0.7

Developing a Dynamic Economy

0.2

Efficiencies and value for money

Total

Strategic spending at lower level

Equipped children's play funds contain from £55,460 (Poole Town) to £800 (Canford Heath West)

None of this sufficient for new, complete play areas so the future spending programme will concentrate on minor improvements, spending £10,000-£15,000

Work has already begun on an enhancement programme: all the play areas have been assessed for ‘play value’ and the lowest scoring ones where there are ward based funds are being targeted.

Bournemouth’s experience

SPD for open space & recreation introduced in 1999

• Over £4.3m collected• Approx £1m spent• Approx £1m allocated to projects• Index link added in 2006• Interest not added to the fund

Section 106: The Key Legal Aspect

para B5 of Circular 05/2005: Planning Obligations:

“A planning obligation must be:(i)      relevant to planning;(ii)     necessary to make the proposed development acceptable

in planning terms;(iii)    directly related to the proposed development;(iv)    fairly and reasonable related in scale and kind to the

proposed development; and(v)     reasonable in all other respects”.

Can you justify what you are asking for?

Allocation

• Money levied is divided into four categories– Play 50% (local)– Amenity 9% (local)– Playing Fields 36% (borough)– Leisure Facilities 5% (borough)

• Based on standards of provision and cost of provision (land/build and maintain for 10 years) in 2003

• Rates currently set at:– House £929– Flat £598

Boscombe Chine Gardens

Population Density of Children 2001

Section 106 Agreement Plotted

The perks

• Big capital fund

• Excellent source of match funding

• Ring fenced

• Has helped deliver improved facilities

• Can be used to assist maintenance

• Can pay for project staff

• Has helped us to engage developers to provide better green spaces on larger developments

Some problems

• Income doesn’t follow expected patterns & income to deliver may not follow your Green Space Strategy

• Indirect effects of development of flats – shifts the families and demand for play

• Lots of small pots of money in the local area pots, but not enough to deliver the bigger projects

• If you can’t accrue enough money in 10 years you may have to start giving it back

• Changes in demand may cause a change in need, our strategy may not be flexible enough

Some Tips• The money should be spent where it makes the biggest difference to the

community – this has to remain your focus

• Don’t get lost in your strategy and policy - be as loose as you can with rules on how you spend, think through how the money will accrue and how you will manage and spend it.

• Are you geared up to spend the money?

• Make sure you’ve thought about how you will manage the fund, it can be difficult and time consuming if you are not careful

• Index link the payments, charge for late payments and try to make sure you get the interest added

• Make sure you add in a maintenance element

• Be transparent with the fund and make sure councillors understand it

• Don’t rely on the income, a building recession could dry up your funds very quickly

• Don’t get too possessive!