Radio Exe’s local democracy reporter, Daniel Clark, has just found out some interesting information:
Developers’ cash piles up
Millions of pounds given by house builders to Devon councils as compulsory contributions to community projects and infrastructure has yet to be spent.
Twenty per cent of the money – known as ‘section 106’ contributions – has’t yet to be allocated to a project. That’s more than £12 million.
Section 106 contributions are paid to local authorities by developers when planning permission is agreed. The contributions are discussed and agreed before developments are given the go ahead. The money is ringfenced for certain projects and has to be spent within a time period – usually five years…
These are the figures received by our local democracy reporter under a Freedom of Information request.
| Council | Money received | Money unspent | Money unallocated | Money returned |
| Plymouth | 27,073,000 | 12,091,000 | 2,483,000 | 0 |
| Exeter | 13,618,103 | 11,154,122 | 872,813 | 0 |
| Teignbridge | 17,148,029.10 | 6,349,788.14 | 3,904,879.82 | 0 |
| East Devon | 8,393,813 | 4,388,529 | 5,139,000 | 0 |
Section 106 contributions aren’t universally popular with developers.