News Release : 30 June 2005

ASSEMBLY PRESSES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL

An 8-point infrastructure delivery plan to support sustainable growth in the South East has been endorsed by the Assembly's Regional Planning Committee.

In tandem with the submission of the draft South East Plan to Government, the Assembly will be seeking a concordat with Government on the infrastructural investment required to fund growth in the region.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly's Regional Planning Committee said: 'Infrastructure is the key to sustainable growth. It is a long-standing issue and a real problem in our region. We are concerned that existing and future service provision will get squeezed in development budgets without sufficient planning. This Infrastructure Concordat provides a positive package to address these problems. We look forward to a constructive dialogue with Government in the coming months.”

In an 8-point plan of action the Assembly will make the case for:

1. Sustained public infrastructure funding from Government
2. Supplementing Government funding with developers' contributions through the more consistent use of planning agreements (known as 'Section 106' agreements) across the region; it's proposed that every local authority should produce a 'Section 106 tariff' for development in its area
3. A clear timetable for the introduction of a Planning Gain Supplement and details of what it would cover
4. A guarantee that the Planning Gain Supplement will not overlap with current Section 106 contributions, so that developers do not pay twice for the infrastructure associated with their schemes
5. A new Regional Infrastructure Fund, probably in the form of a Public Private Partnership, to forward-fund selected infrastructure projects and recoup resources as developments are completed
6. Confirmation that infrastructure plans will be a requirement of local development frameworks, for which the Assembly would identify and disseminate best practice standards among South East planning authorities
7. Resolving conflicts over the use of Section 106 resources, eg for affordable housing or infrastructure
8. Commissioning research on utility regulation to assist the industry plan capacity for the long-term.

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. The Assembly has adopted the following definition for infrastructure, which derives from work by Hewdon Consulting and Roger Tym and Partners.
   
   

   Transport	Roads, Rail
   Housing	Social rented housing
   	Affordable housing
   Education	Further education colleges
   	Secondary and primary
   	Nursery
   Health	Acute and general hospitals
   	Mental hospitals
   	Health centres / PCT
   	Ambulance services
   Social and green infrastructure	Supported accommodation
   	Social and community facilities
   	Sports centres
   	Open space, habitats, parks and play space
   Public services	Waste management
   	Libraries
   	Cemeteries
   	Fire Brigade
   	Police
   Utility services	Electricity, gas, water
   Flood defences

   
   For further details see the document from the 23 June Regional Planning Committee
2. Planning obligations, also known as section 106 agreements, are typically agreements between local planning authorities and developers negotiated in the context of granting a planning consent. They provide a means of ensuring that developers contribute towards the infrastructure and services that local authorities believe to be necessary to facilitate proposed developments. Contributions may either be in cash or in kind. Planning obligations are also used to deliver affordable housing.
   
3. The Regional Assembly is the "voluntary regional chamber" for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
4. The Assembly is made up of 112 members including elected councillors nominated by the region's local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
5. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007

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