£2.3 million owed to council

MORE than £2.3 million pledged to the borough council by developers in support of planning applications approved in Warrington is still outstanding.
The recession and general slowdown in development activity is being blamed for the situation.
Some projects, although approved, have yet to start so the payments have not been triggered.
In other cases, developers are trying to negotiate better deals in view of the recession.
The money is offered by

developers through Section 106 agreements. Usually it is a contribution to highway improvements, public open space provision, education or health facilities or as a contribution towards providing affordable housing considered essential if the development goes ahead.
Members of the borough council’s development control committee receive regular reports on Section 106 agreements and planning obligations.
In April, these reports indicated that the economic slow down and reduced development activity was having an impact on developments and payments from developers.
The trend is continuing, according, to the latest quarterly report by planning officers John Groves and Melanie Hughes.
They say there is continuing evidence of developers seeking to renegotiate the terms of agreements which have received planning permission but which are yet to commence.
Where this results in any significant change to the circumstances in which permission was granted, the committee can refuse to vary the terms of an agreement or look again at a specific scheme to see if it still meets planning obligations.
Currently, £1.1 million is outstanding in respect of highway matters, £812,000 in respect of public open space, £200,000 in respect of education and £250,000 for affordable housing.