Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing Guidance

Questions on the proposed changes to planning guidance on Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing. 

Responses were received on the following topics:

• GENERAL - use of the policy in advance of the adoption of the LDP and that the guidance should be approved as statutory Supplementary Planning Guidance, how infrastructure is funded; and, the use of a standard development charge (citywide pot or tariff), the use of retrospective contributions, development viability and payment timings
• APPROACH - the principle of unacceptable impact, the use of the cumulative approach, how housing site capacities are determined, the use of contribution zones, the system applying to windfall development and the use of illustrative maps of the contribution zone boundaries, contributions thresholds and exemptions.
• EDUCATION - that standard cost of school infrastructure are not set out in the guidance, the inclusion of inflation and contingency, and that a delivery timetable is not provided, that the school land costs are too high and the mechanisms for land transfer are not set out by the guidance.
• TRANSPORT - how the transport tariff based approach is calculated. the extent of the tram contribution zone, and, contributions towards major development outwith the Tram Contribution Zone.
• AFFORDABLE HOUSING on affordable housing the use of income thresholds and the golden share purchase price. 

In response we:

• GENERAL - Signalled that the Council sees merit that, following the adoption of the LDP and approval of the Action Programme, that the Developer Contributions and Affordable Housing Guidance be prepared as Supplementary Guidance.

We updated the guidance to:

• APPROACH - Reflect that all development which is considered to have (a) a net impact on infrastructure, and (b) where this impact requires to be mitigated will be required to contribute to education and transport infrastructure. Provide a map of the education, transport and tram contribution zone.
• EDUCATION - Improve the method for calculating education infrastructure to take cognisance of all potential for housing development, assesses the cumulative impact on education infrastructure, using established pupil generation factors, and identifies actions and related costs to mitigate the impact. This approach is city-wide. Set out the base cost of education infrastructure.
• TRANSPORT - Specify, in detail, how the tariff-based approach to calculating developer contributions for transport infrastructure improvements identified within the Action Programme has been applied.