Ahead of the adoption of the Christchurch and East Dorset Charging Schedules, a number of consultation and examination stages took place. In addition to this, changes in national government policy influenced what the councils could adopt.
Revised Draft Charging Schedules - May 2016 Update
As a result of government issuing revised guidance on contributions for affordable housing and tariff style planning obligations, Christchurch and East Dorset Councils are withdrawing the Revised Draft Charging Schedules (2016). This is in accordance with Regulation 18 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations (2010, as amended) and Section 212(11) of the Planning Act 2008.
Following from this, we are re-publishing the examiner's report for the Christchurch and East Dorset Draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedules (2015). This is in accordance with the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations (2010, as amended) and Section 212 (8) of the 2008 Planning Act. This is with the view of now adopting the following document:
These Charging Schedules were considered for adoption at Full Council meetings at the beginning of September 2016.
Why are we re-publishing the previous Examiner's Report?
On the 19 May 2016 the Government issued planning guidance setting out the specific circumstances where contributions for affordable housing and tariff style planning obligations (section 106 planning obligations) should not be sought from small scale and self-build development. This guidance has been reissued following the order of the Court of Appeal dated the 13 May 2016 which gives legal effect to the policy set out in the Ministerial Statement of the 28 November 2014. The national guidance states that:
"Contributions should not be sought from developments of 10 units or less and which have a maximum combined floorspace of no more than 1,000sqm"
Following this reinstatement the councils have made the decision, in accordance with advice received from the Planning Inspectorate, and through legal opinion, to withdraw the Revised Draft Charging Schedules (2016) and proceed to adoption with the Christchurch and East Dorset Draft Charging Schedules (July 2015). Following the withdrawal of the Revised Draft Charging Schedules (2016) the Examiner will now not publish a report concerning the examination of these charging schedules. The original Draft Charging Schedules examined and found sound in July 2015, is now the only document which is in accordance with the current national planning guidance.
Examination of the Charging Schedules and Previous Consultations
There have been two examinations of Charging Schedules for Christchurch and East Dorset, firstly the Draft Charging Schedules in 2015, and secondly the Revised Draft Charging Schedules in 2016.
There have also been a series of public consultation stages for the Christchurch and East Dorset Charging Schedules, for which the documents and the comments received on them are still available:
- the Revised Draft Charging Schedules, undertaken from 4 December 2015 until the 8 January 2016
- the Revised Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule, undertaken from 11 September until the 9 October 2015
- the 2015 Examination pages provide the details for the public consultations undertaken on the Statement of Modifications 5 December 2014, Statement of Further Modifications 23 January 2015 and Statement of Modifications Arising from the Examination of the Draft Charging Schedules 23 March 2015
- the Draft Charging Schedules, undertaken from 7 May until the 18 June 2014
- the Preliminary Draft Charging Schedules, undertaken in January 2013