South Ayrshire Local Plan

Chapter 6 - Implementation

The proposals in this Plan can only be regarded as effective if there is a clear expectation that they can be implemented within the Plan period. The process of implementation involves not just the Council but a number of other agencies. All have well-defined, mostly statutory, responsibilities. In addition the private sector has a significant role in the implementation of the proposals in this local plan.

Central to this process is funding. The implementation of the Plan will require capital investment from both the public and private sectors. The private sector is expected to be responsible for developing most of the new housing allocations. The relevant public sector authorities and other bodies charged with providing and maintaining a public service will provide investment to meet their responsibilities. However, the provision of new, improved or extended infrastructure services to meet the demands of new development will normally require appropriate contributions in whole or in part from the private sector. The Plan also identifies additional social, community and recreational provision for which contributions from the private sector will be required.

Government policy recommends that planning authorities give guidance in their development plans on the particular circumstances in which they will seek to use planning agreements. It advises that the policies should be as precise as possible in order to inform the local community and the development industry. This allows for an informed debate on the policies and also provides landowners and prospective developers with as clear a view as possible of the financial implications of site development.

Consequently, it is the firm intention of the Council to specify its approach on the responsibilities of developers as clearly as possible. The Council considers it essential that developers contribute in whole or in part towards the infrastructure required to serve a site. It also considers it reasonable for developers to contribute towards additions and improvements, in order to cater for the additional demand created by new development and its occupants.

POLICY IMP 1*

The Council will expect planning applications for the development of sites to include within them provision for the infrastructure consequences. Such provisions may include:

a) On-site facilities directly related to the proposed use in the interests of comprehensive planning; and

b) Off-site facilities necessary as a result of the development in order to avoid placing an additional burden on the existing community.

Where appropriate, it may be necessary to view individual applications collectively in assessing off-site infrastructure requirements.

Policy IMP 1 applies equally to all new development, which may take place, although where some infrastructure requirements are already known for specific proposed development sites they are referred to in the main body of the Plan text.

Policy IMP 1 will normally be operated through legal agreements entered into by the Council and developers under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Policy IMP 1 also applies to new development which may take place on land other than that allocated for such purposes in the Plan. In such cases the Council will have regard to the likely cumulative effect of small site development upon demand for basic utility services as well as for social, community and recreational facilities. The details of any contributions that may be required or requested by the Council will be assessed as part of the consideration of any planning application which may be made.