Planning

As a major urban area within the Thames Gateway, Medway has to reconcile a need for widespread regeneration with its role within a national growth area. The Thames Gateway has in the past suffered from a range of structural problems and deficiencies but has underlying potential for considerable growth.

Medway is experiencing very high levels of development but there are well-documented deficiencies in many major services and facilities. It is central to government policy that new development should be sustainable, which means that it should provide capacity and new facilities to meet the needs of new residents.

Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended) (www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1990/Ukpga_19900008_en_1.htm) allows anyone with an interest in land to enter into a planning obligation, which is enforceable by a local planning authority. Planning obligations or agreements and unilateral undertakings are normally entered into in accordance with this legislation and therefore tend to be referred to on a day-to-day basis as "Section 106 (S106) agreements".

A draft of Medway Council’s Guide to Developer Contributions has been produced which sets out what obligations and contributions will be required for future developments. Developers are expected to take account of and meet the requirements of this document before submitting planning applications to the council. It is designed to help them know what the council is likely to require for new development in Medway.

Two recent consultation exercises have been carried out. A schedule, setting out representations received and Medway Council’s responses, has been prepared and this can be accessed below.

These representations, the draft guide and its sustainability appraisal, were attached to the Cabinet report for members’ consideration at the Cabinet meeting on 22 April. At this meeting Cabinet gave approval to adopt the guide as a Supplementary Planning Document.

For more information, please download the following documents:

• Final approved guide to developer contributions (pdf 2,438KB)
• Final sustainability appraisal (pdf 580KB)
• Schedule of representations (pdf 312KB)
• S106 Agreement template (pdf 826KB)
• S106 Agreement with Affordable Housing Contract template (pdf 141KB)
• Unilateral Undertaking template (pdf 747KB)

To use the pdf files on this page you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please use our advice page.

If you have any queries about Section 106 Agreements or Unilateral Undertakings or you wish to make representations on the draft guide, you can contact Medway Council’s S106 Officer using the details below.

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