FAQs

Planning obligations (also known as Section 106 Agreements) are legal agreements negotiated between developers and OPDC. They are intended to mitigate or offset the negative impacts of development or to prescribe the nature of a development.

Planning obligations can be financial (e.g.: a payment made to OPDC for public realm improvements) or non-financial (e.g.: affordable housing).

Planning obligations have to meet the Regulation 122 statutory tests where they must be:

• Necessary to make the development acceptable in planning terms
• Directly related to the development
• Fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the development

The Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is a guidance document which explains OPDC's approach to using planning obligations. The SPD sets out the circumstances under which planning obligations will be sought.

This draft SPD supersedes the previous Planning Obligations SPD which was adopted in February 2024. The revisions focus on three specific planning obligations. 

The proposed amendments to planning obligation OB4F (renamed Code of Construction Practice and Implementation Supports Contributions from Construction logistics and consolidation) have been proposed to ensure that the Planning Enforcement and Compliance Team can robustly manage the future impacts of construction to mitigate amenity concerns for OPDC residents as development activity in our area increases.    

The proposed amendments to OB7B (Employment, training and skills and local supply chain contributions) ensure that the SPD is set up respond to the future pipeline of developments as well as emerging industry practices in relation to jobs and skills and incentivise developers to meet higher end use job targets.

The proposed amendments to OB7C (Local Labour, Skills and Employment Strategy and Management Plan) provide more detailed guidance on what to include when producing a Local Labour, Skills and Employment Strategy and Management Plan.

All other planning obligations are unchanged. 

The SPD has been prepared to provide advice to developers, landowners, residents and other stakeholders on OPDC's position regarding the use of Section 106 planning obligations.

The SPD and associated documents can be accessed from the document panel on this page. Copies will also be available in local venues.

You can provide feedback by emailing your comments to planningpolicy@opdc.london.gov.uk.

You can post your comments to: Draft Planning Obligations SPD Consultation, Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, One West Point, 7 Portal Way, North Acton, London W3 6RT.

Following the end of the consultation all feedback will be reviewed and considered, and where appropriate, changes will be made to the SPD. This will be set out in a consultation statement.

The revised Planning Obligations SPD would then go to OPDC's Board for adoption.