WE need to get more cash from developers', said the head of the council, as figures indicate Warrington gets half the national average.

Developers can be made to sign legal agreements that guarantee money towards roads, health facilities or affordable housing.

The Government recently said 40 per cent of major schemes in the UK get these section 106' agreements.

But figures obtained by the Warrington Guardian under the Freedom of Information Act show Warrington has got them for only 20 per cent of major schemes since 2000.

Clr Ian Marks, the leader of the council since May, said: "For some time we have argued that Warrington doesn't make as much of section 106 agreements as it ought to.

"It hasn't taken a robust enough attitude so these statistics don't really surprise me at all.

"I acknowledge we have got better over the past year or so but we are still very keen to take an even tougher approach.

"Because at a time when councils are short of money, and we are being pressed by the Government to do more and more, this is one avenue we have got for bringing more money in to the council to spend on things that are beneficial to the community.

"We are certainly asking council officers to take a broader view of what can be secured from developers. Because it just feels that, in the past, we have lost out on some of these developments."

John Groves, head of planning at Warrington Borough Council, put the disparity down to statistics, saying: "I am confident that we are up there with similar authorities. We drive a hard bargain now.

"Certainly, in the past two years, we have explored every opportunity to use legal agreements to make sure the development delivers everything it can.

"Warrington seeks as much through planning agreements as most other authorities and has been able to secure a wider range of facilities than many neighbouring councils."

Section 106 agreements are rarely considered in practice unless they breach the 25-home threshold where affordable housing must be considered.

Yvette Cooper, the Government's planning minister, said: "In the majority of cases, developers pay nothing towards infrastructure and affordable housing. We are urging local authorities to make more use of section 106 agreements."