Development Contributions

We are committed to delivering sustainable communities that are safe, healthy and inclusive. To help achieve this, we expect new developments to provide or contribute directly towards the provision of necessary infrastructure to reduce the impacts of those developments on existing communities and services.

These developer obligations (including contributions) are often known as Section 106 planning obligations.

Planning applications for residential development within 7km of Ashdown Forest will need to mitigate the potential impacts of the development to ensure the effects of any increase in visitors to Ashdown Forest are addressed. Such mitigation may involve the payment of financial contributions towards both Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) mitigation.

For more information please visit our Protecting Ashdown Forest page.

Mid Sussex District Council adopted three Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs) in relation to developer obligations (including contributions) on the 25th July 2018. It is intended to keep the contributions updated to ensure they reflect cost inflation. To inform the contributions, the District Council continues to engage with infrastructure providers on their infrastructure requirements.

The Development Infrastructure and Contributions SPD sets out the overall framework for planning obligations: The SPD has been updated (October 2019) following requests from West Sussex County Council in relation to new parking guidance, and from the CCG and Sussex Police in relation to their s106 calculators.

• Development Infrastructure and Contributions SPD
  • Health (CCG) s106 Calculator
  • Sussex Police s106 Calculator
  • West Sussex LLFA Policy for the Management of Surface Water (November 2018)
  • West Sussex County Council has published guidance on parking at new developments (September 2020) and a car parking demand calculator with an accompanying ward map.
  • Please note that some made neighbourhood plans in Mid Sussex contain a policy on parking standards.

Additional guidance is also provided on affordable housing and development viability:

• Affordable Housing SPD
• Development Viability SPD

The 2021/2022 fees for monitoring planning obligations are as follows:

• For developments up to 15 dwellings - £150 per obligation
• For larger developments between 16 and 100 dwellings, and including commercial developments - £450 per obligation
• For very large developments over 100 dwellings - £500 per obligation. Where an obligation is based on triggers, the fee will be £500 per trigger.

On all developments there will be a £300 fee levied for each approval required either by Mid Sussex District Council or West Sussex County Council as set out in the planning obligation. For example, a management plan.

There may be an additional fee for site inspections where land is being transferred to the District Council.

West Sussex County Council may require developer obligations for:

• Highways
• Education and other facilities for children and young people
• Fire and rescue services, including fire hydrants
• Libraries
• Services supporting older people and those with disabilities and mental health needs
• Waste management

There are contribution calculators on the West Sussex County Council website for working out contributions for Sustainable Transport (TAD), Education and Libraries.

Financial contributions are generally relevant for smaller developments and West Sussex County Council will ordinarily seek bespoke infrastructure requirements for larger developments, however, advice specific to individual planning applications will be provided.

West Sussex County Council may also require fees for monitoring planning obligations.

For further detailed guidance on Section 106 planning obligations for West Sussex County Council, please visit the West Sussex County Council s106 webpages.

We intend to progress work on a Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule, which will set out the charging rates for new developments in Mid Sussex.

No timetable has been decided for this work yet.

An Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP) for the Submission Draft Site Allocations DPD has been published .

Tel: 01444-477053
Email: planningpolicy@midsussex.gov.uk