Westminster has stepped up its efforts to prevent the control of planning gain in the borough being taken out of its hands.
It has hired DTZ Pieda and law firm Forsters to review and help improve its section 106 policy in order to fight off predicted proposals from the government, whereby the policy decision would be removed from individual boroughs’ plans.
DTZ and Forsters will also advise the city council on how to lobby central government over planning obligations following the publication of the planning green paper later this month.
Peter Weatherhead, project director for the study at DTZ, said: “The use of section 106 agreements by local planning authorities has encouraged considerable debate over the years. The green paper is likely to intensify this.”
It is thought that the green paper, which was spearheaded by Lord Falconer, will reinforce proposals to pool planning gain. The initiative was originally put forward by Mayor for London Ken Livingstone in the draft London Plan.
The council is fiercely opposed to the findings of a study called the Three Dragons, commissioned by the mayor, which claimed Westminster could provide 50% affordable housing through the use of section 106 and without the need for subsidy.
