Shropshire Star

Planning levy liabilities

Do I have to complete CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) liability forms when I’m applying for planning permission?

Published
Paul Middleton, partner with Roger Parry & Partners

Paul Middleton, partner with Roger Parry & Partners replies: As a firm we do planning for many successful barn conversions, self-build houses and housing schemes and all of these require completion of CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) liability forms. CIL is a payment to the Local Authority which goes towards infrastructure, services, etc. The CIL is calculated on the amount of new build residential floor area being created by the development. In the Shropshire Council rural areas it is £90 sq/m of new build residential floor area dropping to £45 sq/m in the larger towns.

The CIL liability on even a modest detached house and garage can be around £15,000 so having the correct advice on exemptions (if self-building), together with submitting commencement notices etc, is critical.

If CIL procedures are not met and adhered to in the prescribed order the CIL team will demand immediate full payment, plus fines, together with suspension of on-site works until money due is paid!

A very recent project I was involved with for a new detached house had a very old and dilapidated building on site, but it was still standing with walls and a roof. The clients were staggered to learn during my initial site visit that had they of raised the building to the ground, as they had intended doing, it would have cost them over £7,000. The building itself was worthless but I was able to include it on the CIL liability form, offsetting its floor area against the new floor area being generated by the house, which produced a large saving on the CIL costs.

The offsetting against CIL, and the savings it can achieve, are important even if the end goal is to sell the site with planning permission because it quite simply makes the site more valuable.

CIL is here to stay so we must accept it and understand it. Our planning team at Roger Parry & Partners have a wealth of experience so please don’t hesitate to contact us.