Appendix 4:

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule – Adoption

Consideration of Cabinet Report and Appendices

by Scrutiny Committee on 26 July 2021

Cabinet Member Councillor Debby Hallett introduced this Cabinet report and appendices for consideration by Scrutiny Committee. During discussion, the Committee asked a number of questions, as follows:

Q1       How is CIL spent?

Officer Response: CIL spending is a separate matter and is identified in the Council’s Infrastructure Funding Statement and CIL Spending Strategy, which are both reviewed annually.

Q2       What funding would CIL generate with the revised rates?

Officer Response: The new rates/charging zones should raise around £6 million over the life of the Charging schedule.

Q3       Do the lower charging rates affect the proportion of CIL monies distributed to those low CIL rate areas? Concern that incentivising building in lower rate areas would be unwise if the spend on infrastructure was also proportionately low.

Officer Response: The need for infrastructure is identified in the Infrastructure Funding Gap Statement and the distribution of CIL monies is not tied to particular sites or locations. It is a general pooling mechanism to spend funds wherever the infrastructure is needed. Although the town/parish councils within the lower CIL charging zones receive less funding, they will still benefit from wider infrastructure provision. CIL is based on viability in terms of what can be levied.

Q4       Can the revised CIL rates come into force earlier than 1 November?

Officer Response: The implementation date of 1 November takes into account the necessary lead-in time for the Ocella software system to be updated with the new CIL zones and rates, subject to approval of the revised CIL Charging Schedule for adoption by Cabinet and Council on 1 and 6 October respectively. The new CIL rates will apply to any planning decisions after this date.

Q5       The Instalments Policy states that CIL contributions are collected in arrears but, for large developments, is it possible borrow against that money to forward fund infrastructure?

Officer Response: Yes, that is possible. For county-led infrastructure, forward funding has been secured historically, against expected CIL funds.

Q6       Why are strategic sites not subject to CIL?

Officer Response: Strategic sites are exempt from paying CIL because they will mitigate their development impacts through site-specific S106 contributions and, in doing so, will generally not be viable to pay CIL as well.

Scrutiny Committee Resolution

There were no resolutions made by Scrutiny Committee in relation to this Cabinet report or appendices.