TOWN AND community councils from across the Vale have demanded a greater say in where money is spent when developers are granted planning permission.

The Vale council has the power to enter into legal agreements with developers under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to seek contributions from developers to mitigate negative development impacts and facilitate development which might otherwise not occur.

A community liaison committee report before the Vale council’s cabinet earlier this week revealed that the local authority had received financial contributions of more than £5million from developers in the financial year from April 2013 to March 2014.

Six of the Section 106 Legal Agreements related to major schemes for residential developments at Ferm Goch, Rhoose, St Athan, Culverhouse Cross, Ystradowen and Llandough.

The money has been used to make enhancements to walking and cycling, provision of public art, open space enhancements and children’s play areas

The report highlighted that in the past 12 months between April 2013 and March 2014 a total of 22 planning permissions had been issued that were subject to Section 106 Legal Agreements.

During a cabinet meeting on Monday, December 15, the Vale council’s director of resources Rob Thomas said that community and town councils had “concerns” about decisions made by the authority about Section 106 spending. He said that local councillors should be made aware of the two opportunities that they have to get involved with Section 106 spending.

“The first is when the planning application is lodged and town and community councils are consulted with,” he said.

“With major schemes they have the opportunity to comment on what Section 106 agreements should be in place.

“The second opportunity is ward members saying where they think money should be spent in those places.”

He added that there were often conditions where the money had to be spent in a certain amount of time and that the council tried to use it efficiently as possible.

“There’s a bit of a balancing act about how we spend that money,” he said.

The report, which was from a community liaison committee meeting last month, said that a number of members queried why Town and Community Councils were not specifically consulted with regard to section 106 monies, and were told by the principal planning officer that “specific consultation would greatly add to the process and officer time with the consequence of significantly affecting timescales for schemes”.

Councillor Gwyn John said that he always liaised with Llantwit Town Council about Section 106 funding when it could be spent on public open space or sustainable transport.

He added that some community councils didn’t seem to know that there were restrictions about where money could be spent from Section 106 funding, and that was partly due to a breakdown in communications between the county and community councils.

“That’s why they get their backs up in a community liaison meeting,” he said.

“Many think they should spend the money where they feel like it, but that’s not always the case.”

Cabinet members agreed to a further report in the New Year to look at how the Vale council consults with town and community council’s over Section 106 money.