The DCLG publication Planning Obligations: Practice Guidance [July 2006] aims to

‘…provide LPAs and developers with practical tools and methods to help the development, negotiation and implementation of planning obligations’.  It is accompanied by a model S106 agreement prepared by the Law Society.'

The guidance is generic and is linked directly to sections of Circular 5/05 Planning Obligations.  It covers the following issues:

• Types of contributions; including maintenance payments and pooled contributions;
• Policies in Regional Spatial Strategies , Local Development Frameworks, and the roles of Supplementary Planning Documents;
• Improving processes of negotiation, by the use of applicant/stakeholder guides and setting local authority service standards;
• Developing formulae and standard charges, and the need to assess the impact and cost of proposals in order to inform such charging;
• The Law Society model agreement, which is intended to form a template from which authorities can select relevant sections;
• The use of third parties to validate and mediate agreements;
• The roles of community involvement, and responsibilities of authorities under the Freedom of Information Act, 2000;
• Unilateral undertakings; and

Improvements to ways of managing the implementation of planning obligations, including the used of performance bonds.

The Sport England Planning Contributions Toolkit complements this general Government guidance by giving detailed tools, information, methods and examples tailored to sport and recreation.

[Planning Obligations: Practice Guidance, July 2006: DCLG Publications, PO Box 236, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS23 7NB: Product Code 05 PLUS 03309a: ISBN 10: 1-85112-848-4 and ISBN 13: 978-1-85112-848-8].

[Added 4th August 2006]