Section 106 Working Party

Part of any planning applications, is the provision of S106 agreements. Simply put, these are an agreement for the developer, in return for permission being granted, to do something ‘to lessen the impact of that development’.

As the impact will be felt on the High Street, it is VITALLY important that the High Street gets it ‘share’ of any S106 money that may be available. Your Chamber is fighting hard for this. We have attended every meeting to date, spent all day last Saturday collecting views and will attend all future meetings.

We have put forward four ‘key’ suggestions, and following the public meeting on Saturday last, will add any other suggestions to that list. The key ones are :

1. A ‘Fighting Fund’ for the High Street to combat the impact. This could be used in various ways, but your Chamber would look for this to be a planned approach to creating a long term sustainable, vitality and vibrant High Street. We would look to use the recommendation of the Mary Portas report on High Streets. www.maryportas.com

2. Subsidised Car Parking. We need to bring more people into Malmesbury to use the shops and services there.

The S106 Working Party is due to finalise its report by 25/1/12 and his will then be submitted to the planners.

It cannot be stressed how important our representation on these groups is.

Whilst it may APPEAR that the Chamber, by taking part, has ‘given in’ to the idea of a a supermarket, we haven’t. Simply, the S106 agreements HAVE to be agreed as part of the planning application, its no use doing them after. So we have to be involved, and look to ensure that business affected by any successful application, get something back to lessen the impact.

Please click here to view the findings of the recent survey undertaken by the working party