BCP Projects · Parks & Green spaces
Project Funding
Last updated June 2025
Section 106 Planning Obligations
Recreational contributions
For many years the vast majority of open space & play projects in the BCP area (at the time three separate Borough Councils) were funded by Section 106 Planning Obligations – also known as ‘Developer contributions’ – authorised by Section 106 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990.
Planning Obligations are legally binding financial agreements entered into with property developers to mitigate the impacts of housing development by supporting the provision of local infrastructure for the benefit of local communities.
One such obligation was known as ‘Recreational Contributions’ – developer money contributed solely for the provision or improvement of parks, play areas and other leisure facilities. Recreational Contributions were allocated to two distinct funds:
Ward Based Funds, for use only in the ward in which the development(s) took place, and only on:
Equipped Children’s Play
Casual Play & Amenity Open Space
Borough-wide Funds, to be spent on facilities that can be enjoyed by all residents of a (then) Borough:
Major Built Facilities, such as Leisure Centres
Youth/Adult Outdoor Play
Beaches
Destination parks, such as Poole Park & Upton County Park
In January 2013 the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) was introduced by the Planning Act 2008; CIL is also a planning charge but differs from Section 106 in that the income generated doesn’t need to be used for providing infrastructure within the community it is collected from.
Further background information to both funding mechanisms can be found at the BCP website:
Heathland Mitigation
Funding for heathland mitigation projects is collected from developers through Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments or secured through Section 106 agreements. The funds are used to secure new SANG sites and to design and build the infrastructure needed to support an increase in public use.
Mitigation is secured in perpetuity to mitigate for the life of the development. This means that funds include maintenance and management of the project for 80 years following implementation.
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) took effect on 2nd January 2013; it is a locally set charge which can be applied to most new development throughout the BCP region.
CIL income can be used to contribute towards the funding of a very broad range of local facilities & infrastructure projects needed to support new development, including play areas, open spaces, parks and green spaces, cultural and sports facilities, as well as healthcare facilities, academies and free schools, police stations and other community safety facilities. It differs from Section 106 in that CIL money does not need to be used for providing infrastructure within the community it is generated by; the Council is able to decide which facilities are most needed, and where. Details can be found at www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Neighbourhood Portion was launched in 2018; 15% of the Community Infrastructure Levy is set aside for the Neighbourhood Portion fund. It is a great opportunity for communities to help shape their areas, and BCP has set up a bidding process for communities to identify how they want the Neighbourhood Portion to be spent. Details at www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk
NOTE
‘Developer contributions’ is a collective term mainly used to refer to the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Planning Obligations (aka ‘Section 106’ or ‘S106’ obligations).
Grant funding from various schemes & sources
For instance, with the Future Parks Accelerator programme (2019-2022) BCP, in partnership with The Parks Foundation, was awarded a share of £6.2 million, and £5 million worth of support from experts in conservation, fundraising, volunteering and park management in a plan to develop “A sustainable parks service for the 21st Century” – read about it.
That success has led to an ambitious & innovative new approach to parks & open space management, and a further £1 million investment in open space projects awarded by UK government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Public Health Dorset and others, much of which is funding the transformation of 14 Green Heart Parks
And in 2021 BCP Council secured almost £23 million as part of the government’s Towns Fund to turbo charge ambitious regeneration plans for a “Better Boscombe”, which in turn has led to £280,000 being made available for the 2025 regeneration of Woodland Walk Nature Reserve.
The Parks Foundation
We work with The Parks Foundation, an independent charity, on nature-based community-building projects & events in many BCP parks and green spaces.
