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Provision of sufficient good quality education provision is crucial in ensuring that all children have the opportunity to gain the vital knowledge, skills and qualifications needed for a bright start in life. 

New housing tends to attract younger families with pre-school and school-aged children and young people, and this has an impact on local schools and early years providers. Where the additional demand for school and early years places can’t be met within the existing provision, the developer can be required to make a financial contribution towards the cost of increasing education places locally, to mitigate the impact that their development will make on education infrastructure.

ŮͬÐÔ°®County Council’s Education Planning Obligations Policy (‘the Policy’) sets out our approach to developer contributions. 

2025 Consultation on updates to the Policy 

The Policy was last updated following a public consultation in May 2019 (only annual updates to the Building Cost Multiplier rates have been made since then). 

The decision to move this proposal to public consultation was agreed by Cabinet on 6 February 2025.

If approved, the new Policy will become applicable to any planning applications submitted from 1 September 2025.

The Policy has been updated to reflect:

1. changes to national and local policy and
2. an increased need for specialist provision for the growing percentage of children and young people with SEND
3. it also takes into account updated guidance from the Department for Education

A number of amendments have been made to the Policy, which are summarised in the document available to download:

• Draft ŮͬÐÔ°®Education Planning Obligations Policy 2025 (PDF)

Following the close of this consultation the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education will consider the proposal, taking into account any comments received before a final decision is made.

Consultation documents

Download:

• Policy Review Letter to Stakeholders (PDF)
• Policy Review Changes (PDF)

For further information on this proposal, or to request a paper copy of any of the documents detailed above, please contact epop@worcestershire.gov.uk. 

Please submit any comments via the link below by midday Tuesday 17 June 2025.