Stockport Council is proposing to seek financial contributions from new residential developments to go towards education in the borough. 

Given that new residential developments would bring in more families and therefore have an impact on pupil places, the council proposes that some financial contribution to local education will be a pre-requisite of planning permission for such sites. 

Funds would 'typically' go towards physical expansion of schools, or else repairs or repurposing of existing space. Developer contributions will be sought for more or less every facet of education: early years, primary, secondary, post-16, and special schools. 

A public consultation has been opened on this topic, and residents are invited to give feedback. In an online survey, they can respond directly to all sections of the draft Education Contributions Supplementary Planning Document. 

The document explains its proposals thus: "To support the supply of school places, Stockport Council and local schools receive grants from central government. However, these are not enough to address all the needs. 

"Where the development of new homes creates an unacceptable impact on pupil places in schools, we will seek contributions to ensure adequate provision of education infrastructure. [...]

"We will seek developer contributions from developments that yield pupils where there is insufficient existing capacity in local schools."

It is fundamental for the local authority that there is a surplus of school places, so that any margins of error in intake or pupil forecasting can be dealt with. 

Applications for schemes with less than 10 residential units will typically be exempt from providing developer contributions.

Still, the cumulative pupil yield of a number of separate developments may result in the need for a new secondary school. In this case, developer contributions will be taken from all relevant developments. It is, however, 'not anticipated' that a single development will be large enough to trigger the need for a new secondary school. 

The document argues: "Expanding existing schools presents a great opportunity to secure the long-term future of education provision."

Read the full document, and submit your opinions HERE. 

The deadline for responses is 25 October 2023.

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