Stage 5: Monitoring and Review

Undertake annual monitoring and review in a transparent and inclusive manner as part of the local authority annual monitoring reporting for local development frameworks, corporate financial reporting process or facility operator’s performance monitoring.

Monitoring and review should answer the following key questions:

• How far have policies or schemes been implemented?
• Have policies or schemes delivered the expected or desired results and outcomes (according to the vision and objectives)?
• If there are problems with implementation, what are the causes?
• What lessons can be learnt for future policies or schemes?

Reporting on Planning Obligations
Monitoring the delivery of planning obligations is particularly poor across local authorities, in particular where there isn’t a dedicated Section 106 officer. Last year, Cushman & Wakefield found £1.25 billion of unspent developer contributions. Annual reporting should consider keeping a database to allow local authorities to monitor:

• whether developers have made the agreed amount of contributions,
• what contributions have been collected,
• the contributions collected, and
• value and spending of contributions for culture and sport

Reporting on Community Priorities
The annual reporting should consider whether policies or schemes have contributed to the achievement of local or multi area agreement outcomes, including:

• health and well-being,
• social cohesion, enabling people to be brought together, creating links between different communities, and encouraging people to feel a sense of pride and belonging in their local area, and
• the economic impact where spaces for sports and culture make a significant economic contribution to communities.

Reporting on Delivered Schemes
In determining the success of schemes delivered, a self-evaluation should be undertaken by developers and delivery partners of the quality of the development in accordance with principles established in the Shared Vision. This is the advice of both CABE and HCA-ATLAS which the toolkit supports.