Builders already have to pay up for roads, schools, GP
surgeries and parkland needed when local communities
expand – in 2016 to 2017 alone they paid a whopping £6
billion towards local infrastructure helping create jobs
and growth.
Yet before today, councils were not required to report on
the total amount of funding received – or how it was
spent – leaving local residents in the dark.
New rules will mean councils will be legally required to
publish vital deals done with housing developers so
residents can see exactly how money will be spent
investing in the future of their community.
Housing Minister Rt Hon MP said:
The new rules coming into force today will allow
residents to know how developers are contributing to
the local community when they build new homes - whether
that’s contributing to building a brand-new school,
roads or a doctor’s surgery that the area needs.
The reformed Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) rules will
help developers get shovels in the ground more quickly,
and help the government meet its ambition to deliver
300,000 extra homes a year by the mid-2020s.
The rules are designed to support councils and give
greater confidence to communities about the benefits new
housing can bring to their area.
New planning practice
guidance has also been published today, which
seeks to further simplify advice on the CIL regime,
helping communities and developers understand what is
required.
Councils will be required to publish an annual report on
the all the CILagreements
entered into with developers from December 2020.
The regulations make it faster for councils to introduce
the CIL in the
first place – so areas can benefit from getting the
infrastructure they need in good time.
Restrictions will also be eased to allow councils to fund
single, larger infrastructure projects from the cash
received from multiple developments, giving greater
freedom to deliver complex projects at pace.
