Councils to show how CIL cash is spent on communities

Councils will be forced to publish details of how they spend cash handed over by property developers for new infrastructure projects, under new rules which come into force today (1 September).

The new rules around the community infrastructure levy (CIL) mean councils will be legally required to publish any deals done with housing developers, so residents can see exactly how money will be spent investing in the future of their community.

Local authorities will also now be required to publish an annual report on the all the CIL agreements entered into with developers from December 2020 onwards.

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.

According to the government, local authorities received £6 billion between 2016 and 2017 under the CIL towards local infrastructure helping create jobs and growth.

But before today, councils were not required to report on the total amount of funding received, or how it was spent.

‘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,’ said housing minister, Esther McVey.

Responding to the announcement, the Local Government Association’s Planning spokesman, Cllr David Renard, said: ‘Councils support the principle of infrastructure funding statements showing how much developers’ money is spent on local communities, and many councils already publish them. This work needs to be fully funded and councils also need sufficient lead-in time.

‘The government should further reform the community infrastructure levy in the upcoming spending round.

‘This includes removing national exemptions – which reduce the amount of funding to invest in critical infrastructure to facilitate development – and allowing them to be decided by councils at a local level,’ added Cllr Renard.

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