A planning obligation is a legal agreement used to make sure new development is acceptable in planning terms.
For example, your development may need roads in the area to be improved. A planning obligation will make sure you carry out these improvements or fund them.
You can find out about planning obligations at the Planning Portal website or read about our approach to planning obligations in the pdf Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document (1.39 MB)
If planning obligations are needed, you'll need to sign either a planning agreement or a unilateral undertaking.
Planning agreements
We'll draft a planning agreement. The developer or landowner will need to check they're happy with the agreement and then sign it. We'll also sign the agreement.
Unilateral undertakings
In some cases you can use a unilateral undertaking instead of a planning agreement. Only the developer or landowner needs to sign this
Templates for unilateral undertakings
If there is nobody else with a legal interest in the land, only the landowner will sign the document:
- document unilateral undertaking template for landowners only (51 KB)
- pdf unilateral undertaking guidance notes for landowners only (39 KB)
If the owner has a mortgage, both the owner and the mortgage lender must sign the document: