The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is looking for up to eight local authorities to implement the revised Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which was announced in the recently-published Localism Bill. Further details of the Bill are here.
Clauses 94 and 95 of the Localism Bill deal with the proposed changes to the CIL, which allows local authorities in England and Wales to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area. The Bill proposes that:
1. Some of the CIL funds should be given back to the neighbourhood where the development is located;
2. CIL funds can be put towards the ongoing costs of infrastructure, as well as the provision of new infrastructure; and
3. Local authorities should be given more control over the setting of their own charging levels. However, Independent examiners will still decide whether the charging schedule is unreasonable, though the local authority in question will be able to decide how to make it reasonable.
In order to be selected for the CIL project (dubbed the ‘Front Runners Project’), the DCLG has said that interested local authorities should ideally:
1. Intend to submit their charging schedule for examination no later than Autumn 2011;
2. Have a proven track record of planning policy competence; and
3. Have secured the necessary buy-in from corporate, finance and planning functions within the council.
The local authorities that are selected to take part will become some of the first to implement the revised CIL and will be expected to do it as soon as possible, though they will receive support from the Planning Inspectorate. These local authorities will then be encouraged to share learning and good practice across the local government sector.
The deadline for applications is 14 January 2011, with the Project expected to run until March 2011 (although the DCLG has suggested that this may be extended.)