About section 106 agreements and unilateral undertakings
Section 106 Agreements (S106) and unilateral undertakings (UU) are types of planning obligation under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
They are legal agreements between the local authority and the developer. The agreements aim to balance the extra pressure a new develoment creates with improvements to the surrounding area. The improvements ensure the new development makes a positive contribution to the local area and community.
A planning obligation can:
- restrict the development or use of land
- mean you must carry out specific operations or activities on the land
- mean you can only use land in a certain way
- require the payment of financial contributions
Types of obligation commonly include provision of:
- affordable housing
- open spaces and recreational facilities including enhancement and maintenance
- play equipment
- art provision
- cycleways
- highways
- travel plans
- education
Only a small number of planning applications need a planning obligation before we grant planning permision.
The land itself, rather than the person or organisation that develops the land, is bound by the S106 agreements. They are a legal charge on the land, so their obligations transfer automatically with any change in ownership.
We cannot determine your planning application until we have received a completed S106 agreement. If you cannot achieve this in 8 or 13 week life of the planning application, we will not grant you planning permission.
You are likely to need an S106 agreement for:
You can find out more about S106 agreements and planning oblications:
- on the Planning Portal
- at GOV.UK
