Draft supplementary planning documents (SPD) consultation

This consultation has now closed.

Further proposed changes to the draft Financial Contributions for Educational Provision SPD

The Local Plan (adopted on 3 January 2019) contains policies to be considered when looking at planning applications. Supplementary planning documents (SPDs) contain further advice and explain how these policies will be applied.

A number of SPDs were adopted following the adoption of the Local Plan. These included the Financial Contributions for Educational Provision (formerly Financial Contributions to Schools) SPD.

We previously asked for views on proposed changes to this document in Summer 2023. Following this consultation, we proposed further changes to take account of comments made and consulted on the document again in September/October 2024. We're now considering comments made.

You can read a summary of the comments made in summer 2023, a summary of the further changes proposed in September/October 2024 and the proposed updated document below.

Summary of comments made in 2023

Read the Financial Contributions to Educational Provision SPD, Consultation Statement (August 2023)

Summary of further proposed changes

Further proposed updates are summarised in the table below. Once adopted, the updated SPD will supersede the version adopted in 2019.

Section Proposed changes
2. Introduction Amended text clarifying the scope of potential impacts of development on educational provision, including early years and SEND, and policy context for consistency.
4. Number of pupils generated The number of pupils a development will bring has been updated to reflect the latest available evidence published in August 2023 and expanded to include early years, post-16 and SEND pupils. The figures will be reviewed periodically through the Local Plan Monitoring Report to ensure they remain relevant.
5. Early years, Post-16 and SEND provision New section added to clarify and explain the process for determining the impact of a development on educational provision and to assess the needs and capacity for all school phases including early years and special education needs. Post-16 contribution will only be sought when a new development falls within the southwest secondary school planning area.
7. How the amount of financial contribution will be calculated

Updated to reflect the latest Local Authority Scorecard as a basis of pupil cost per place, in line with Government recommendations set out within updated Department for Education Developer Contributions Guidance (published in August 2023).
10. How we determine if a school is local to the development

Updated to reflect the new primary school planning areas as approved by the Department for Education and additional text to include early years and post-16 and SEND provision.

Read the document

The revised document below contains the SPD with the proposed changes shown. 

We've previously consulted on changes to the adopted version of the Financial Contributions for Educational Provision (Formerly known as Financial Contributions for Schools), in Summer 2023. These are shown in red and underlined or struck through.

Following this consultation further changes have been made to take account of comments made by the Department for Education. These additional changes are shown as struck through or underlined text and highlighted turquoise. The further consultation in September/October sought your views on these additional changes.

More information

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