Why public funding (in the form of the use of publicly owned land, S106 monies and others) is being allocated to finance the redevelopment of the privately owned school (Egerton Rothsay).

• The County Council is unable to develop its land without treating with the adjoining owners for rights of access and services. In order to unlock the development potential, the parties (either Egerton Rothsay School or Taylor Wimpey) that hold the key to realise the development potential require to be compensated – it is for this reason the County Council would be recommended to pay consideration to Egerton Rothsay School.

Why the proposed 100 dwellings in the 2004 Local Plan has been increased to over 200 dwellings to finance the redevelopment of the school – a privately owned enterprise.  I quote from the Masterplan “ It is also agreed that the restriction of development to around 100 dwellings only on 4.4 hectares of the site is unlikely to produce sufficient funds to make any material contribution towards the school redevelopment, as well as providing the larger area of dual use playing fields sought by current policy.”

• Hertfordshire County Council does not hold this information.  It is for Dacorum Borough Council to decide on the indicative number of units to be allocated to the site.  [A further FOI request has been made to DBC]

What the proposed land ownership arrangements are when the development has been completed.

• No such arrangements have been agreed.

The terms of any financial/land ownership agreement that has been made between the parties.

• The County Council agreed in principle to dispose of its land at its Cabinet meeting 10th September 2003 but no agreements exist between the parties in respect of any potential disposal.

How HCC proposes to deal with the significant additional pressure which will be exerted on the transport infrastructure, schools and carbon reduction targets by the increase in the town’s population of between 200 and 800 people on this development.

• In terms of the last point about how HCC proposes to deal with significant additional pressure on services, I attach below a link to the Planning Obligations Toolkit, which sets out the requirements for the payment of financial contributions towards the provision of additional services. The payment would be made by way of a legal agreement (under S106 of the Town and County Planning Act) made between the local planning authority and the developer. It is standard practice that where a S106 agreement is required, planning permission would only be granted if the developer enters  into the agreement.

• As a member of the developer consortium for the proposals at Egerton Rothsay, the County Council would be treated in the same way as any other developer and will therefore be subject to the same planning requirements. It is recognised that the proposed development at Egerton Rothesay will generate a need for additional services. A financial contribution would therefore be made towards the provision of those services in accordance with the  Toolkit.

http://www.hertsdirect.org/infobase/docs/pdfstore/planobsjan8.pdf “.