Commentary Part 6: Planning Chapter 3: Neighbourhood Planning Section 117: Charges for meeting costs relating to neighbourhood planning
300.This section confers a power on the Secretary of State to make regulations (with the consent of the Treasury) for the imposition of charges in relation to development authorised by neighbourhood development orders. The charges may either be set out in the regulations or the charges may be decided upon by local planning authorities for their areas, if this is what the regulations allow for (see subsection(4)). The purpose of these charges is to allow local planning authorities to recover costs which they have incurred in putting neighbourhood development plans or orders in place.
301.A charge will be payable to a local planning authority when development authorised by an order is commenced (see subsection (3)). In addition, the regulation-making powers permit liability for the charge to be imposed on owners or developers (see subsections (6)(e) and (7)) and for arrangements to be made for other persons to assume liability for the charge in advance of development being commenced (see subsection (6)(a)).