A consultation document on planning obligations, publishedyesterday by Stephen Byers, Secretary of State for Transport, LocalGovernment and the Regions, aims to put an end to negotiated dealsbehind closed doors between developers and local authorities. Thishas been criticised by the Committee on Standards in Public Life,an d in its place there will be an open 'tariff' that sets outclearly the contribution developers will be asked to make ifplanning permission is granted.

Stephen Byers said: 'Developers buying a piece of land currentlyhave little idea of what a local authority might demand in returnfor planning permission. Local authorities in turn sometimes don'tknow what to ask for. It makes purchases very risky.

'With these new proposals developers will know exactly what theywill be required to pay before submitting a planning application,saving time and tortuous negotiations. Planning obligationnegotiations are often slow and in private, leading to charges ofimpropriety, secrecy and a lack of public involvement'.