What is Section 106?
Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (often referred to as a 'Section 106 agreement' or 'S106 agreement') is a mechanism in the planning system of England and Wales. It allows local planning authorities to enter into a legally-binding agreement or planning obligation with a land developer. This agreement is used to ensure new developments contribute positively to the local area.
Section 106 income for a town or parish council refers to the funds received by these local councils from Section 106 agreements.
How Can I Manage Section 106 Income and Expenditure within Scribe
We recommend setting up reserves for S106 monies received - this can either be a single reserve or if you are likely to receive multiple payments spanning a number of years it may be preferable to set up a reserve for each payment received in order to effectively manage the time frames in which you have to spend this money.
Cost codes can also be set up for S106 that can then be linked to the reserve(s). When S106 income is received or expenditure is made from S106 funds it should be allocated to the S106 code(s). If they are linked to a reserve then the balance will automatically be updated.
1. Set Up Reserves:
- Navigate to Menu Setup → Reserves.
- Click on the "Add Reserve" button.
- Enter the details of the reserve. Make sure to give it a distinct name for easy identification, such as "S106 2023 Reserve". You can set up multiple reserves if you are tracking multiple S106 payments.
2. Create Cost Codes for S106:
- Navigate to Menu Setup → Cost Codes.
- Click on the "Add Cost Code" button.
- Assign a unique code for S106 income and expenses, ensuring that these codes are linked to the respective reserves you created in step 1.
3. Track S106 Transactions:
- When you receive S106 income or make expenses from S106 funds, allocate these transactions to the S106 cost codes. If these codes are linked to a reserve, the balance in the reserve will automatically be updated.
You can get details of expenditure by running a Detailed Cost Centre report on the S106 cost codes. Any balances remaining in the S106 reserves at the end of the financial year can be transferred to the new year to continue managing the remaining funds.
More information on how to set up reserves can be found here: