Decision details

1.    To outline the updated ‘Arts and Design in the Public Realm in Wiltshire – 2024 Guidance’ and to approve its use in securing S106 Developer Contributions for the delivery of public art.

I approve the proposed guidance for adoption.

This decision was published on 13 May 2024 and will come into effect on 21 May 2024.

The updated ‘Arts and Design in the Public Realm for Wiltshire – 2024 Guidance' will provide clear information to developers regarding to the planning policy that underpins the mechanism by which Wiltshire Council will secure the S106 developer contribution for public art and the formula by which the contributions will be calculated. It outlines how Wiltshire Council will manage the delivery of more coherent public art schemes across the county. It will better support Wiltshire Council’s place shaping agenda.

1.    The Art and Design in the Public Realm in Wiltshire – 2024 Guidance is an update of the 2011 Guidance note that has been used to secure S106 Developer Contributions for the development and delivery of public art schemes.

2.    The updated Guidance has been developed with input for Planning, Legal and Arts services. It has also been informed by research of other local authorities and input for the Arts Council England.

3.    The considerations given when updating the document included:

·         the dwelling trigger level,

·         the fee per dwelling

·         the level at which funding has been commute to Wiltshire Council and what has remained with the developer.

4.    It was felt that the current trigger level of 50 dwellings remained suitable as a lower level would place more of a burden on smaller sites. Therefore, trigger level has been retained.

5.    The fee of £300 per dwelling was still considered reasonable in that at the 50-dwelling trigger point it would provide the necessary levels of funding to produce public art schemes of sufficient quality. This fee per dwelling has been retained

6.    However, to provide a more standard approach to the delivery of public art schemes across the county it has been deemed more appropriate for all S106 public art contributions to be transferred to Wiltshire Council and for the local authority via a Public Art Officer to manage future projects. This change will provide for greater consistency in the delivery of public art that will help support the place shaping agenda and the council’s business plan objectives.

7.    Up to 10% of contributions will be used to fund the Public Art Officer post. Previously this was a stipulation to developers regarding the employment of public art consultants to manage the deliver of public art schemes.

1.    This updated Guidance has been developed following extensive local authority research and discussion with Arts Council England and colleagues in Planning and Legal. A draft of the Guidance was presented to Places Senior Leadership team for comment.

2.    The Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Environment Select Committee and the Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning have been briefed on 22 April and 23 April 2024 respectively.