Section 106 funds from 2014 to 2024
Case reference FOI2025/00952
Received 19 May 2025
Published 30 May 2025
Request
Section 106 agreements are financial undertakings developers give to councils made when larger schemes are given planning permission, to pay for improvements for the wider community.
In November 2021 Herefordshire Council’s deputy leader Liz Harvey told councillors that the council’s Economy and Place Directorate has £6.2 million of unspent section 106 contributions, £4.2 million of which is earmarked for highways and transport. Also 'The Children and Families Directorate meanwhile has a further £2.9 million of unspent developer contributions'.
To avoid any confusion
1. Can this council state year on year from 2014 to 2024 the value of unspent 106 contributions?
2. Can this council state year on year from 2014 to 2024 the value of unspent 106 contributions in the Children and Families Directorate budget?
3. Can the council state if the amounts are kept in separate accounts and if so who does the council bank with?
4. Can the council state if the amounts are declared separately or together in the councils yearly accounts?
5. How can a third party independent entity, perhaps a charity, apply for these funds?
Response
Section 106 agreements are financial undertakings developers give to councils made when larger schemes are given planning permission, to pay for improvements for the wider community.
In November 2021 Herefordshire Council’s deputy leader Liz Harvey told councillors that the council’s Economy and Place Directorate has £6.2 million of unspent section 106 contributions, £4.2 million of which is earmarked for highways and transport. Also 'The Children and Families Directorate meanwhile has a further £2.9 million of unspent developer contributions'.
To avoid any confusion
1. Can this council state year on year from 2014 to 2024 the value of unspent 106 contributions?
Answer: The Service Area have advised this data is held from the year 2018 onwards due to our data retention policy:
|
YEAR |
UNSPENT S106 CONTRIBUTIONS |
|
2018/2019 |
£7,297,000 |
|
2019/2020 |
£7,599,000 |
|
2020/2021 |
£8,440,000 |
|
2021/2022 |
£9,407,000 |
|
2022/2023 |
£13,666,000 |
|
2023/2024 |
£14,661,000 |
|
2024/2025 |
£13,527,000 |
2. Can this council state year on year from 2014 to 2024 the value of unspent 106 contributions in the Children and Families Directorate budget?
Answer: The Service Area have advised this data is held from the year 2018 onwards due to our data retention policy; these figures are included in the totals for Q1:
|
YEAR |
CHILDREN & FAMILIES DIRECTORATE UNSPENT S106 CONTRIBUTIONS |
|
2018/2019 |
£2,153,000 |
|
2019/2020 |
£2, 396,000 |
|
2020/2021 |
£2,788,000 |
|
2021/2022 |
£2,960,000 |
|
2022/2023 |
£4,928,000 |
|
2023/2024 |
£5,153,000 |
|
2024/2025 |
£4,427,000 |
3. Can the council state if the amounts are kept in separate accounts and if so who does the council bank with?
Answer: The Service Area have advised this income is not separately banked; it is managed within the overall Council cash balances.
4. Can the council state if the amounts are declared separately or together in the councils yearly accounts?
Answer: The Service Area have advised amounts are reported together with other grants in the Council’s yearly accounts; they are not identified specifically as S106.
5. How can a third party independent entity, perhaps a charity, apply for these funds?
Answer: The Service Area have advised there is a link on our Council website to the Council Planning Obligations webpage where you can view the current community s106 wish lists held by the council: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/local-plan-1/section-106-planning-obligations
To apply for funds please email s106@herefordshire.gov.uk outlining the details of the independent entity, what funds they are seeking and for what capital infrastructure.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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