Ministers have launched a review focused on ensuring local communities are benefiting from housing and infrastructure developments in their areas.
The new review will make sure that the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), introduced in 2010, raises enough funds for communities to develop transport infrastructure, schools, health services and recreation facilities.
CIL works by giving local authorities the power to collect tariff-style contributions from developers within their area. It is designed to be an alternative to traditional ‘Section 106’ planning obligations negotiated on an application-by-application basis.
The Government review will assess whether or not CIL is meeting its objectives, ensure transparency, look at the relationship between CIL and s.106 agreements, and consider how reliefs and exemptions operate and whether the neighbourhood element of CIL is helping to increase community support for development.
Arguing the review is part of wider government plans to streamline the planning system, communities secretary Greg Clark said: ‘This independent review will examine how we can improve the community infrastructure levy to ensure it best benefits local communities whilst delivering the houses the country needs.’
Almost 100 councils are now charging CIL and more than 200 councils are working towards introducing it.
