DEVON County Council is owed more than £1.2 million promised by developers that have been given planning permission.

The council says the Section 106 cash, which usually helps fund road improvements or education, is now considered ‘aged debt’ meaning it has been owed for more than 90 days.

Section 106 payments are conventionally linked to residential planning applications, which are dealt with by districts rather than the county council.

However, Devon, which oversees big budget items such as highways and schools, is included as a party in some Section 106 agreements where highways or education contributions have been requested.

The details of the debtors were reserved for a private part of a meeting where the press and public are excluded.

The council said even where there is no dispute about the payment, developers frequently pay Section 106 contributions between one and six months late.

The council has introduced late interest charges, which it said had some impact.

‘Although only relatively small amounts of late interest have been invoiced and received to date, the introduction of these charges has resulted in improved payment times and reduced the need to use legal mechanisms to secure payment of these debts,’ the council said.