How to apply for S106 funding - external organisations  

Organisations can apply for S106 funding providing that the project they are looking to fund matches with the definition of the funding applied for and is (generally) with in the vicinity of the development that the funding is from.  

There are 8 main steps to the funding process. 

Step 1 – Review the Exacom Public Facing Module and identify the potential funding available for the project. 

Step 2 – Contact the Planning Obligations team to make sure the funding you are looking to apply for is available and the project is legally compliant for the use of these funds. 

Step 3 – Complete a S106 Release Application form and send it (in word format) to planningobligations@milton-keynes.gov.uk along with quotes for the proposed works and other supplementary information to outline the details of the project and to justify how it meets the legal definition for the funds being requested.  

Step 4 – The Planning Obligations team will compliance check the application and, if required, perform a subsidy control check.    

You may be required to fill out additional forms to enable a subsidy control check to be completed – the Planning Obligations Team will inform you if this is the case.  

Step 5 – Once all checks have been completed the application will be sent to the relevant Milton Keynes City Council service to review and present to the relevant internal board(s) for determination – this step may take a while as not all boards are held on a monthly basis and some service areas may require projects to be reviewed by more than one board.  

Dependant upon the value of the request for funding and the detail of the definition wording for the obligations being sought for use, the project may require further sign off by a Cabinet Member via a Delegated Decision. Where this is required, the Planning Obligations Team will alert the applicant as part of the compliance check process – it should however be noted that the requirement for a decision to be made at this level, will add further time on to the approvals process.  

Step 6 – If your project is approved and signed off, it will then be placed in a Notification Period for 10 days. The notification will be sent to the Ward Councillors and local Town/Parish Council covering the area from which the development providing the funding is located.  

This notification is carried out for transparency purposes and is not a consultation nor part of the decision-making process.  

Step 7 – Once notification is over, the applicant will be sent a legal Funding Agreement document to review and sign. This will outline the terms and conditions of the agreed funding and its use which the applicant must adhere to.  

Step 8 – Once a signed Funding Agreement has been returned it will be counter-signed by the Director of Planning and Placemaking and the funding will be paid to the requesting organisation in line with the terms set out in the Funding Agreement.  

Agreements of over £100,000 will also need to be legally sealed prior to them being completed. This can take up to three weeks after the agreement is sent back to us so, please factor this into your timeline.  

S106 release application form for external applicants

Tips and tricks for a good application 

• Contact the Planning Obligations team early so that you know the funding is legally compliant before you formally submit a request. 
• Engage early with the Milton Keynes City Council service area who will be responsible for assessing and determining your application - this will assist in understanding what information is required to be included as part of your submission and will help to avoid abortive work being carried out. If you’re not sure who the relevant service area is then ask the Planning Obligations Team. 
• Engage with the local Ward Councillors and Parish/Town Council and any other affected bodies about your project. Notifications will be sent to them later in the process regarding the project so it is better that they are aware and any issues they wish to raise have already been considered. 
• Fill in each section of the application with as much detail as possible and be clear as to why the project meets the exact wording of the legal definition for use of the funds being requested. Applications that are only a few lines or provide limited detail will be rejected.
• The Planning Obligations Team will do their best to give requesters an outline of the process and timescales involved with each request at the time of submission but, please be patient once you have submitted your form; Steps 5-8 of the process can, on occasions take up to 6 months to complete.