East Lothian Local Development Plan Proposed Supplementary Guidance - Developer Contributions Framework

Overview

East Lothian Council, at its meeting on 29^th May 2018, approved the East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 (ELLDP 2018) for adoption. The Council has now submitted the ELLDP 2018 to Scottish Ministers stating our intention to adopt the plan for the area. The ELLDP 2018 comprises a development strategy for the future development of East Lothian to 2024 and beyond, a detailed policy framework for guiding development, and proposals maps. It sets out where new development should and should not occur, including new housing, education, economic and retail development, new transport links, and other infrastructure.

This consultation is on the proposed Developer Contributions Framework Supplementary Guidance (SG),part of a range of documents that would (if adopted) support the ELLDP 2018 during its operation (see relevant document links below).

The planning system allows mitigation to be sought from applicants or developers towards delivering infrastructure capacity where the need for this arises as a result of their development or to make development acceptable. Planning policies can also require that provision is made for other interventions, such as provision for affordable housing as part of market housing development. These interventions are normally called ‘developer contributions’.

To enable additional development in East Lothian further investment will be required from developers to overcome the transport, education, community, health care and affordable housing requirements, or other infrastructure or environmental constraints that will arise as a result of their developments, on an individual and on a cumulative basis. The Council has worked with service and infrastructure providers to identify opportunities, constraints and costed mitigation solutions for planned growth.

East Lothian Council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance: Developer Contributions Framework has been updated following the publication of the Local Development Plan Examination Report to take account of its findings and of updated demand assessments for Education, Transportation and Sports Facilities.

An updated Technical Note accompanies this consultation,  which describes the approach the Council and other service and infrastructure providers have adopted to the preparation of the Supplementary Guidance. The structure of the Technical Note is consistent with the 2016 Technical Note 14 but the content has been updated to present:

•             Key Findings from and implications of the LDP Examination Report on the Developer Contributions Framework and the operation of Developer Contributions Policy

•             Updated Education Roll Projections and subsequent impacts on additional capacities required and related developer contribution values

•             Updated Transportation Appraisal and Transportation Developer Contributions Methodology, costs of interventions and subsequent changes to the contributions values sought from relevant developments

•             Updated Sports Facilities contribution values due to the removal and addition of sites to the LDP

•             Updated Blindwells GP Facilities contribution

Your views are now sought on the content of the Developer Contributions Framework Supplementary Guidance. These will be considered by the planning authority before the guidance is finalised.   

Comments can be made by completing the online survey (see below).

Alternatively, comments can be submitted via email to: ldp@eastlothian.gov.uk, or by post to: Policy & Strategy Team, East Lothian Council, Brewery Park, Haddington EH41 3HA. 

Comments made via email or post must be received at the office of the Planning Authority by no later than 5pm on Friday 20th July 2018.

Why your views matter

We are seeking your views on the proposed Developer Contributions Framework Supplementary Guidance. The Council will take your views into account prior to finalising the proposed Developer Contributions Framework SG. 

What happens next

The Council will consider your comments prior to the adoption of the Developer Contributions Framework SG.