Developer obligations are payments made by developers to help cover the costs of new development on local services, such as schools, healthcare, transport, parks and community facilities. This ensures that new housing or commercial developments contribute fairly to the infrastructure that communities rely on, protecting existing services from extra pressure. 

The updated guidance replaces the version adopted in 2020 and also takes into account feedback from a public consultation.

Key changes include a clearer way of calculating contributions for schools, taking account of the number of pupils a new development is expected to add and introducing a policy under which schools are treated as full once they reach 90% of their capacity, rather than waiting until every place is taken. The guidance also updates rates for healthcare, transport, sports, community facilities, green spaces and town centre improvements; explaining clearly when exemptions apply. 

The Planning Guidance will now be a material consideration when assessing planning applications across Moray. 

Chair of the Planning and Regulatory Services Committee, Cllr David Gordon, said: “This updated guidance makes it clear for developers what contributions are expected, while making sure our communities have adequate contributions towards the services they need. 

“It balances supporting new development with protecting schools, GP practices, and transport networks from the inevitable extra pressure. It’s fair, clear and helps Moray grow sustainably.”