Planning performance agreement
Planning proposals in the City of London can raise complex issues, due to factors such as the density of development, mixed uses, a rich historic environment, high land values and a large number of workers.
Central government encourages the use of Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) for large or complex planning proposals.
A Planning Performance Agreement is a project management tool used to agree the process for handling a planning application (for example, agreeing timescales, actions, and resources), which:
- Enables the developer, the local planning authority and key stakeholders to work in partnership throughout the planning process
- Enables complex proposals to progress through the planning process with an agreed timescale, guaranteeing certainty for the developer
- Ensures that appropriate resources and expertise are provided to advise on complex proposals
- Provides an opportunity for detailed dialogue and enables the delivery high-quality development
Entering into a Planning Performance Agreement does not give a guarantee of planning permission.
Planning Performance Agreements are made pursuant to the Localism Act 2011 and the Local Government Acts 1972, 2000, and 2003. Section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003 allows local planning authorities to charge for providing discretionary services and legislation is clear that, where charges are made, they must not exceed the cost of providing the service. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) identify PPA/developer contributions as a revenue stream that should be maximized by planning authorities.
Developers are asked to present their proposals for assessment in the City of London’s 3-D model to accurately test the impact of height, scale and massing in both the existing context and within the context of future planned development.
Pre application PPA fees
Cost is dependent on the scale and complexity of the application and level of resources required. The fees include VAT.
| Proposal | Applies to | Fee £ |
|---|---|---|
| Major (6 meetings) |
Residential applications: 10 or more residential units, or a site of 0.5 hectares or more on an outline application and other types of applications, including commercial development: creating 1,000m2 floor space or more, or a site of 1 hectare or more on an outline application
|
46,000 |
| Major (12 meetings) | Residential applications: 10 or more residential units, or a site of 0.5 hectares or more on an outline application and other types of applications, including commercial development, creating 1,000m2 floor space or more, or a site of 1 hectare or more on an outline application. | 68,000 |
| Major bespoke (anything in between or more than | For large scale, complex developments requiring significant resources, or for special projects that do not fit into any other of other categories. A bespoke number of meetings can be offered. Anything in between or more than those listed in the above categories | Fee on application |
Technical workshops £1,500
Attendance at joint meetings with external stakeholders £750
Planning application PPA fees
Cost is dependent on the scale and complexity of the application and level of resources required. The fees include VAT.
| Proposal | Applies to | Fee £ |
|---|---|---|
| Large scale major proposals | Residential applications above 50 residential units or a site of 0.5 hectares or more on an outline applications including commercial development, creating 10,000m2 floor space and more, or a site of 1 hectare or more on an outline application. | 59,500 |
| Major proposals | Residential applications between 10-50 residential units, or a site of 0.5 hectares or more on an outline application. Other types of applications including commercial development, creating between 1,000m2 and 10,000m2 floor space, or a site of 1 hectare or more on an outline application. | 36,500 |
| S73 major applications | Any S73 applications to vary or remove any planning conditions attached to planning permissions for major development. | 22,500 |
| Conditions | For the discharge of all conditions attached to planning permissions for major developments | 15,000 |
| Scheme delivery service | Provides a single point of contact from planning approval to scheme delivery with guidance on all approvals, certificates, notices, licence fees, legal agreements and/or deposits | 22,500 |
| Scheme delivery and conditions package | Provides a single point of contact for the combined Conditions Service and Scheme Delivery Service | 35,000 |