Highland Council proposes massive hike in developer contributions to pay for schools
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This week Highland Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee will consider a major increase in developer contribution rates for education and community facilities.
The changes aim to bring developer contributions – the amount paid to the council for cost of increasing school and facilities accommodation as communities grow.
If approved then it will allow the council to apply revised developer contribution rates for schools and community facilities that are more in line with up to date construction costs.
It would also take into account the latest evidence on the implications of housing development for schools and other infrastructure and will apply to any developer contributions for new cases received after the date of the committee.
The council says developer contributions sought would be “fair, accurate and proportionate but also capable of providing the necessary infrastructure required to mitigate the impact of any proposed development.”
The complex proposals would see major uplifts but a simplified system:
- £13,155 per home for a 16 class Primary School (compared to £8,798 – 2018 rate with index-linking)
- £14,623 per home for an 8 class Primary School (compared to £8,798 – 2018 rate with index-linking)
- £9,111 per home for an 800-pupil secondary school (compared to £4,163 – 2018 rate with index-linking)
- £8,352 per home for a 1200 pupil secondary school (compared to £4,163 – 2018 rate with index-linking).
Chairman of the committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “It’s vital that the Council ensures that it is securing appropriate and proportionate costs from the developments that have an impact.
“It’s about a fair approach to delivering the infrastructure needed to make Highland a great place to live. A significant amount of work has gone into updating the financial rates and the evidence that triggers where those payments will be needed.
“The council is always looking at how best to deliver these facilities including options for combining sports, community and education facilities where possible. We also need to align the capital programme and other funding opportunities to deliver these facilities where and when they are needed and that we have a strategy that makes that clear.”
The report follows other procedural changes for developer contributions that the Council agreed at the February Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
All other contribution types are due to be considered as part of a wider review of developer contributions through a new Highland Local Development Plan to be prepared in the coming months.
