Enabling Policies in Regional Spatial Strategies
It is important that broad enabling policies are introduced at this level. The scale and delivery of community facilities, such as those for sport and recreation are an important strategic issue.

The draft South East Plan (2005) has a policy requiring new and improved infrastructure , including community infrastructure, to be provided in step with development [policy C4: Infrastructure and Implementation].

Some regional assemblies are moving beyond the straightforward use of s106 agreements in funding new infrastructure, as illustrated by the policy in the draft East of England Plan (2004).
Policy IMP 2 states;
‘…East of England Regional Assembly will:

• work with partner organisations to establish consistent approaches to the negotiation of planning agreements (and equivalent legal agreements) by developing good practice guidance and fostering best practice throughout the East of England
• work with Government and partner organisations to develop innovative approaches to value capture, up-front funding of infrastructure schemes, and establish revolving funds, and ensure that new approaches are implemented vigorously and consistently across the region’.

The supporting text includes the following;
‘…Particular approaches that EERA will seek to develop include:

• section 106 agreements and area based pooling.  In partnership areas – EERA and partners will investigate the potential for pooling development contributions to enable better co-ordination and targeting of infrastructure and facilities provision
• in association with this, EERA will investigate with Government the possibility of funding infrastructure and facilities via an up-front singe regional infrastructure pot to provide infrastructure in advance of , or at least in parallel with, development.  The costs incurred would be clawed back via s106 and other planning agreements, either in relation to specific benefiting development, or on an area-wide, pooled basis.
  

The text also states:
‘…EERA will seek to foster best practice by:
encouraging early provision of infrastructure and social facilities, eg via rigorous definitions of facility delivery triggers in relation to scales and rate of development progress.  Such approaches are already proving their worth in many of the areas that are applying the best and latest practice’.  [see East of England Plan, 2004, pp 216-7].

Policies in local development frameworks
It is very important that planning authorities include full and detailed policies in respect of sport and recreation obligations in their local development frameworks.
The Planning Obligations Circular (2005) states that authorities should;

• include as much information as possible in their published documents in the Local Development Framework; and

• authorities should include high level policies about the principles and use of planning obligations- ie matters to be covered by planning obligations and matters to be taken into account when considering the scale and form of contributions.

High level policies are likely to be found in the Core Polices or Core Strategy local development documents.  More detailed policies may be found in;

• a development control policies development plan document, if prepared; and
• in various area action plan development plan documents, which will focus on areas of change such as new urban extensions.

Click here for examples of Core Strategy policies.

Action Area Plans

Action Area Plans focus upon a specific location or area subject to conservation or significant change.  Here are two examples, Chelmsford and South Cambridgeshire, showing current practice where APPs have enabled teh enhancement of existing sport and recreation facilities alongside redevelopment scheme.

Click here to see more details