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Barford St Martin Parish Council sought greater flexibility and clarity on how funds, raised through R2, were held and distributed; particularly keen to see the funds held by the Parish Councils themselves.

The mechanism by which R2 provision is made is through a ‘Section 106’ agreement (under the provisions of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990), explained Eric Teagle, the Head of Forward Planning and Transportation.

This legal agreement is a contract between the developer and the Local Planning Authority. This is governed by statute. The provisions of the Section 106 agreements are very specific to the type of contribution required. Large scale developments would require recreational facilities to be provided within the development, but smaller developments would require a financial contribution to future scheme. The funds secured can only be held for 5 years and must be repaid with interest if not distributed in that time. (If a project has been identified in this time, extensions to 5 year limit can be granted.)

The Section 106 agreement signed between the Local Planning Authority and the developer is a public document and can be inspected.

It is a concern of some Parish Councils that the system of R2 contributions is too inflexible to meet changing requirements. Undeniably, Policy R2 has brought enormous benefit, however, some Parishes may not be able to identify suitable projects, whilst a neighbouring Parish may be screaming out for recreational provision. A broader view of what constitutes recreational open space was also called for.

SDC accepts that Policy R2, in future Local Plan development, could be adapted to become more flexible to meet communities’ needs. Notwithstanding this, Mr Teagle invited concerned Parishes to discuss any flexibility that may be possible within the current scope of the existing Salisbury District Local Plan.

Furthermore, in order to keep Parishes fully in the picture, and to allow them to plan future projects more effectively, the Forward Planning and Transportation Unit will get more pro- active in informing Parish and Town Councils of their R2 balances.