Reduce unjustified Section 106 contributions.
We help residential developers reduce unjustified education and healthcare Section 106 contributions, using software-led analysis to identify weaknesses in contribution requests and prepare evidence-backed reports for use in negotiations.
Contributions should be justified, not assumed.
Section 106 requests for school places and healthcare capacity are often calculated using standard formulae and heuristics. Where the underlying assumptions are weak, the contribution may not meet the tests set out in Regulation 122 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 and national planning policy.
We use software-led analysis to bring together the evidence a local planning authority or consultee has relied on, and to compare it with independently available data. The result is a clear, referenced assessment that your planning consultant or legal adviser can use in negotiation.
Not every contribution can be challenged, but where a request appears sound, we will say so.
- School capacityExisting and planned places, catchment and admissions patterns, and the allowance made for committed development.
- Population forecastsPupil yield and demographic assumptions, and whether they reflect the scheme’s size, mix and tenure.
- AccessibilityWalking and travel distances to schools and healthcare facilities, and whether the named facility is realistically served.
- Planning evidencePolicy basis, project specificity, pooling and whether the requested sum is fairly related in scale and kind.
A clear process in three stages.
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Initial review
You send us the draft or proposed Section 106 agreement and the supporting consultee responses. We carry out a first review and tell you, without charge, whether there appears to be a basis for challenge.
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Evidence-led analysis
Where there is, we analyse capacity, forecasts, accessibility and the supporting planning evidence, and prepare a referenced report setting out where each contribution may fall short of the legal tests.
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Support in negotiation
We provide our findings to you and your planning consultant to use in discussions with the authority and consultees, and remain available to clarify the evidence as those discussions proceed.
10%
of savings achieved through our work. Nothing if there are none.
Our fee is 10% of savings achieved through our work. The starting contribution amount and the method for calculating attributable savings are agreed in writing before work begins. If our work produces no reduction, there is no fee.
- No upfront fee, retainer or hourly charge.
- No fee if no reduction is achieved.
- We make no promise of any particular outcome. Final decisions rest with the local authority, the developer and, where relevant, the Planning Inspectorate.
Summercourt Analytics is a grant-supported business. Our analysis supports, but does not replace, advice from your planning consultant or solicitor.
Tell us about your scheme.
Email us a short description of the development and, if you have them, the draft Section 106 agreement and consultee responses. Your enquiry will be handled personally by Jonathan Sheinman.
jonathan.sheinman@sc-analytics.co.uk