New Developers’ Guide to Infrastructure Contributions Launched

Essex County Council has launched a new Developers’ Guide to Infrastructure Contributions as part of a range of measures designed to support sustainable growth in Essex.

The new guide details the range and scope of contributions Essex County Council seeks in order to mitigate the impact of development. It helps to ensure that new housing developments are supported by appropriate infrastructure including school and early years places, transport links and waste management.

The Guide was produced by Essex County Council in consultation with the district, borough and city councils of Essex and developers to provide a transparent and consistent approach and to ensure that new development makes a positive contribution to the community for residents.

 The new 2020 Guide replaces the previous guide which was published in 2016 and takes account of national changes including the Revised Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which came into force in September 2019 and legislative changes requiring children between the ages of 16-19 to be in full-time education or training.

The Guide features several new elements including a new section requiring developer contributions towards employment and skills. This new section is particularly important in the current climate as the County Council looks to support the local economy during the Covid-19 recovery phase. There is also a new section on contributions to special educational needs provision. Approximately 15% of the Essex school population has some form of special educational needs and the cost of specialist provision can be up to four times higher than mainstream education provision.

For a link to the Developers’ Guide to Infrastructure Contributions and other links to planning advice visit https://www.essex.gov.uk/planning-advice-guidance/guidance-for-developers