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The delivery of infrastructure is essential in tackling many of the issues identified in the emerging Joint Core Strategy.  A key theme through the Issues and Options paper and the response of the local authorities to the Regional Spatial Strategy is that housing growth is only acceptable on the basis that the necessary services and infrastructure are provided in association with and where necessary in advance of new development.

Historically the provision of services and infrastructure associated with new development has been supported where appropriate by Planning Obligations.  These are legally binding agreements between the local authority and the developer and often referred to as Section 106 Agreements. 

The Government has emphasised the need to plan more effectively for the infrastructure requirements for development and is promoting legislation that will allow Local Planning Authorities to introduce a Community Infrastructure Levy, which is likely to result in a scaling back of Section 106 Agreements.  The Community Infrastructure Levy may be in the form of a standard charge, as an amount levied per dwelling or per square metre of development, based on a costed assessment of the infrastructure requirements arising from development proposed for the area.  The hope is that these arrangements will reduce the need for complicated Section 106 agreements and ensure planned development is delivered more quickly and in a more sustainable way.  The Community Infrastructure Levy will cover much more than transportation infrastructure with water and sewerage, schools, health facilities, sports and recreation being some of the major components.  There will be an element of revenue funding (for long-term maintenance) as well as capital funding in key areas like the provision of outdoor and indoor sports facilities. Emerging government guidance suggests that the process of setting charges should ideally be embedded in the development plan process, but flexible enough to react quickly to changing market conditions.

For the purposes of this document it has been assumed that the Community Infrastructure Levy will become government policy.  However, the Government’s current approach to developer contributions will be incorporated into the Submission document, and South Worcestershire’s approach reviewed accordingly.

Regional Spatial Strategy Policy SR2 seeks the provision of necessary services and social infrastructure, including health, at Settlements of Significant Development (Worcester in the context of the Joint Core Strategy) and in other areas where development is concentrated. 

The South Worcestershire authorities have been securing planning obligations through their respective development plans and associated supplementary planning guidance.  These have, traditionally been negotiated for individual sites and for each specific need arising from development.

In response to the Issues and Options paper, there was overwhelming support for both options that related to Issue 11  (Infrastructure and Implementation), that development should not proceed until all types of essential infrastructure are provided and that priorities for infrastructure provision required to serve new development should be clearly established.

There was stronger support for developing standards of open space provision based on local circumstances and needs, than a single standard of provision throughout South Worcestershire (Issue 29, Options 2 and 3).  There was overall support to seek contributions from developers for play, sport and recreation facilities, both indoor and outdoor, from all housing, industrial, retail and office development (Option 5).

The majority of respondents agreed with providing new or increased capacity of existing healthcare resources in association with new development (Issue 30).  The majority agreed developer contributions should be sought towards schools/colleges (Issue 31).

The Community Infrastructure Levy or locally developed infrastructure levy and planning obligations will be used to secure the provision of necessary physical, social, economic and environmental infrastructure related to new development. The range of planning obligations will vary according to the circumstances of the development but may include: affordable housing; public open space, recreation and leisure facilities; sustainable transport; education; health care; emergency services facilities, children’s centres; youth facilities and community facilities; recycling facilities; public art provision; city/ town centre enhancement; renewable energy; community safety e.g. CCTV; environmental protection and enhancement, including sustainable drainage systems; flood protection / mitigation; local employment and training opportunities; and information communications technology infrastructure.

In quantifying the Community Infrastructure Levy for each settlement and within the rural areas, there will be recognition that the development areas will not be built in isolation and will have implications for existing facilities.  Similarly new development will have cross-boundary implications and the Community Infrastructure Levy will need to take this into account.

Affordable housing contributions will not be included in the standard charge, but negotiated in accordance with Policy CS14, to enable affordable housing to be delivered on-site, specific to each locality, as part of ‘planning obligations’ legislation.

Studies and consultation with interested parties continues to identify the broad package of measures needed to accommodate proposed growth.  Where these are already known they have been incorporated into the relevant Spatial Strategy policies.  As a result of different infrastructure requirements associated with different settlements, different levies will be developed for each urban area and the rural areas.  Each levy will be set at a level that ensures that essential infrastructure required to support the proposed scale of development can be provided.  Further technical work will be required to test the levels of funding that can reasonably be secured from development and from the public sector.  It will incorporate the strategic infrastructure requirements such as, in the case of Worcester, strategic transport improvements to the Southern Link Road and integrated passenger transport, as well as local infrastructure, such as education facilities.

Detailed infrastructure requirements will be addressed through the spatial strategy policies and other core policies, and the production of Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document, setting out costs, standard charges and thresholds.  A detailed programme for the implementation of essential infrastructure will be drawn up alongside the Site Allocations Development Plan Document.

The delivery of infrastructure is dependent on partnership working between a variety of public and private sector agencies ¹ .  Where developer contributions are insufficient and/or remediation is required to deal with an existing problem the Joint Core Strategy will seek to co-ordinate and align investment programmes of other organisations.   Whilst it is not possible to guarantee levels of public and private investment over the next 20 years, the South Worcestershire Authorities will seek support from Government and other key stakeholders to secure as much certainty as possible that the necessary investment will be provided.  A Draft Implementation Plan is attached at Appendix 2, which identifies emerging delivery mechanisms and lead agencies.

The Spatial Strategy and other Core policies will link the phasing of development to the infrastructure needs they generate.

Technical work is still being prepared in relation to identifying infrastructure requirements.  However, severe transport infrastructure constraints potentially limit growth options across South Worcestershire and specifically at Worcester as indicated in the Worcester Spatial Strategy.  Pooled developer contributions will be required possibly via the Community Infrastructure Levy, to deliver a proportion of the investment required.

In developing the Community Infrastructure Levy and the Submission document further consideration will need to be given to the range of developments that contribute to the Community Infrastructure Levy and whether thresholds are appropriate in certain instances.  It is recognised that developer contributions associated with small Rural Exception Sites promoted by Registered Social Landlords and heavily reliant upon scarce public subsidy, can have an impact on the overall viability and deliverability of the scheme.  Contributions required of Registered Social Landlords will be reduced to account for this.

The Preferred Spatial Option supports or delivers the following Spatial Objectives derived from the Sustainable Community Strategies:

Do nothing. This approach would be inconsistent with Government planning policy that emphasises the importance of planning for infrastructure at the outset and addressing these issues in Local Development Documents.  Further, the delivery of infrastructure is essential in tackling many of the issues identified in the emerging Joint Core Strategy.

Same standard charge (Community Infrastructure Levy) across South Worcestershire.  This approach would not fairly reflect the specific strategic infrastructure requirements associated with development, for example transport infrastructure, or characteristics of the locality, for example in terms of standards for open space provision.