Christchurch and East Dorset Community Infrastructure Levy

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a new levy which local authorities can choose to use as a charge on new developments in their area. The money raised can be used to support development by funding infrastructure which is needed and wanted by the council and by the local community.

Christchurch Borough Council and East Dorset District Council have worked together to prepare their Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedules. We have now adopted our Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedules, following Full Council meetings held in East Dorset and Christchurch on the 5 and 6 September 2016 respectively. The Charging Schedules for each authority and supporting policy documents are available below:

• Christchurch and East Dorset CIL Charging Schedules
• Adoption Statement

Supporting Documents

• Appendix A Regulation 123

• Appendix B CIL Payments Instalment Policy

• Appendix C CIL Payments in Kind Policy

• Appendix D The funding gap and CIL target

• Appendix E Amounts raised through S106 Agreements

Christchurch and East Dorset Councils implemented CIL on the 3 January 2017.

Revised Regulation 123 List

The CIL Regulation 123 List above was updated in June 2017, amending the original list published in September 2016. Consultation on the updated 123 list was undertaken for a period of 4 weeks until 23 March 2017. The updated CIL 123 list was endorsed by Christchurch Borough Council Community Committee on the 7 June 2017 and at East Dorset Cabinet on the 20 June 2017 with no further amendments.  The consultation report summarises the responses received:

• Draft Regulation 123 List Consultation Responses

The Regulation 123 List is a stand-alone document that can be updated when necessary and without the requirement for an Examination. It sets out, in accordance with the CIL Regulations, and the 2008 Planning Act, the types of projects or infrastructure which may be funded wholly or partly by the levy and those which may be funded wholly or partly through Section 106 planning obligations and Section 278 highway agreements. The Regulation 123 list is necessary to enable the use of planning obligations to fund some specific projects or infrastructure as set out in the list which otherwise would be funded by the levy.

Advice for Applicants

For both Christchurch and East Dorset, planning applications determined on or after the 3 January 2017 are liable for CIL.

The  Christchurch and East Dorset Development Management CIL pages provide more detailed guidance concerning the submission of planning applications, completion of CIL forms and the calculation of CIL liability.

Preparation of the Charging Schedules

Ahead of the adoption of the Christchurch and East Dorset Charging Schedules, a number of  consultation and examination stages took place. In addition to this, changes in national government policy influenced what the Councils could adopt.

What is the Community Infrastructure Levy?

The  Core Strategy for Christchurch and East Dorset proposes growth for the Borough and District. To ensure that this level of growth is sustainable, infrastructure such as transport improvements, additional school spaces and open space including Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to provide heathland mitigation is required.

Development requires and needs a variety of infrastructure and it is important that it contributes towards its provision. The introduction of legislation in the Planning Act 2008 allows councils to raise funds from developers to provide this by the Community Infrastructure Levy. The government considers it is right that those who benefit financially from development should share some of that gain with the community to help fund the infrastructure that is needed to make the development sustainable and acceptable. It is therefore important that we introduce the Community Infrastructure Levy to supplement other funding streams and provide the necessary infrastructure.