Developer Contributions SPD - Huntingdonshire District Council

The District Council’s Approach to Developer Contributions 4Huntingdonshire LDF | Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document(RPs) that may not comply with current local planning policies. Until Affordable Rent can be written intopolicy, it has to be assumed that Registered Providers will deliver affordable housing in line with localpolicy. The Localims Bill will also oblige Local Authorities to produce a Strategic Tenancy Policy (STP)to outline its response to these proposals. In determining its STP, the council will take into account theaffordability of AR relative to local incomes. The STP will inform the council's policy on affordable housingtenures but it should be stressed that PPS3 adds AR to the definitions of affordable housing and does notexclude other forms such as 'Social Rent' and this, more affordable tenure, may still feature in the Council'sSTP.4.25 The costs incurred in delivering a workable, high quality development are to be expected and should havebeen reflected in the price paid for land, and will not normally reduce the ability of a site to provide therequired obligations. Expected costs will include affordable housing, site clearance and remediation, goodquality, design measures, landscaping, noise and other environmental attenuation measures, andappropriate infrastructure provision (which may include highway and public transport measures). Developerswill be required to demonstrate any abnormal development costs at the earliest possible stage, in orderthat their impact on the viability of a scheme may be assessed. Price paid for land may not be a determiningfactor if too much has been paid or historic land values or developer profit margins are being protected atthe expense of required contributions such as affordable housing.4.26 If an exceptional circumstance does arise whereby a developer wishes the Council to reconsider therequired contributions due to the impact on the viability of the scheme, the developer will need to submita written request to the Local Planning Authority.4.27 In line with exceptional circumstances procedure for the Community Infrastructure Levy, a claim for requiredplanning obligations on a specific development to be reconsidered will need to:a. be submitted to the Local Planning Authority in writing;b. be received by the Local Planning Authority before commencement of the development;c. include the relevant particulars requested by the Local Planning Authority; andd. be accompanied by—i. an assessment carried out by an independent person of the cost of complying with the planningobligation mentioned and the CIL charge,ii. an assessment carried out by an independent person of the economic viability of thedevelopment,iii. an explanation of why, in the opinion of the claimant, payment of the planning obligations, andany CIL charge, would have an unacceptable impact on the economic viability of thatdevelopment,iv. where there is more than one material interest in the relevant land, an apportionmentassessment, andv. a declaration that the claimant has sent a copy of the claim, including all accompanyingpaperwork, to the owners of the other material interests in the relevant land (if any).4.28 The independent person referred to above appointed to carry out an economic assessment must haveappropriate qualifications and experience and be appointed by the local planning authority at the reasonableagreed cost of the claimant.4.29 Based on the independent financial viability findings, developer contributions may be discounted or thephasing of infrastructure altered where this would not make the development unacceptable in planningterms. In certain circumstance, the Local Planning Authority may need to make a judgement as to whethera development would still be acceptable in planning terms with a reduced level of contributions whereother funding sources cannot be found. Some development may simply need to wait until developmentvalues improve, land values can be renegotiated or alternative funding sources lined up.15