At last Thursday's Planning Panel meeting of Salford Council, a massive development by Peel Holdings related company, Peel Land and Property, was approved for up to 1,500 residential, co-living and student accommodation units at MediaCityUK.
The proposal was for 'outline' planning permission, which usually states the amount of Section 106 payments required to mitigate the effects of the development – and, indeed, the officer's report argues that money will be needed to improve the trams, 'pedestrian and cycle connections', provide car club vehicles and possibly traffic mitigation.
Affordable housing and education payments will only need to be provided if there are any 'duplexes' on site, as high density apartments are immune from such payments, thanks to Salford Council policy.
However, what Peel will actually have to pay has been "delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning and Housing for final agreement", states the report, as the "total monetary value of the planning obligations cannot be calculated as many of the formulas applied to calculate such obligations are based on unit numbers and bedspaces, which at this point in time are unknown".
While that could be acceptable, Peel has strangely submitted a viability report which would usually contain detailed information about its development, including potential costs, sales etc. The viability assessment is not being made publicly available, despite recent overtures by the Government and the Council.
The level of contributions could also have been deferred until the 'reserved matters' planning stage, when full details of the scheme would be disclosed – but by then the level of S106 contributions will already have been decided by the Assistant Director of Planning, with the elected councillors outside of that process. It all boils down, yet again, to a lack of transparency within Salford City Council.
Meanwhile, at last week's meeting, the Planning Panel also approved 'outline' plans for housing by MHE Investments Ltd at Brackley Golf Club in Little Hulton, despite objections by members of the community.
The officer's report states that "the exact type and number of dwellings are not known at this stage", although an 'indicative' figure of 677 houses, mews and apartments was listed, together with the amount of 106 contributions "drafted in a formula based manner".
These are a £750,000 golf course compensation payment going towards Amblecote Playing Fields, a £2,221,175 payment for 'off-site open space', a £100,000 open space payment, a £1,120,899.20 payment towards education facilities, and £288,000 towards bus stops, pedestrian connections and traffic calming. There's no affordable housing provision, as due to Salford Council policy, Little Hulton has been deemed a 'low value' area.
So, two 'outline' applications, both with the exact numbers of houses and apartments not yet known. Section 106 payments for Peel Holdings' huge development at Media City have been delegated to the Assistant Director of Planning, with no 'indicative' figures mentioned. Yet 'indicative' Section 106 payments for MHE Investments' huge development at Brackley Golf Course have been listed.
The councillors on the planning panel passed both applications, with two abstentions.
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