What is CIL?

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a planning charge, introduced by the Government through the Planning Act 2008 to provide a fair and transparent means for ensuring that development contributes to the cost of the infrastructure it will rely upon, such as schools and roads. The levy applies to most new buildings and charges are based on the size and type of new floorspace. There is an additional Mayoral CIL charge if developing in London – click here for more details.

This charge is in addition to S106 costs and is generally non-negotiable.

Check out our popular frequently answered questions page.

See our new CIL flowchart (CIL Flowchart PDF will open in a new tab) to understand the process.

Claim CIL reliefs

Important – you MUST claim any reliefs prior to commencement. If not you lose those exemptions or reliefs. Make sure that the correct forms are filled in including form 1. We are happy to check forms for you, but we do charge £250 per hour. It should only take an hour however. Contact us here if this is of interest. Note that failure to claim the correct amounts could cost you thousands. See our FAQ for more information on penalties that might also apply. See our new CIL flowchart (CIL Flowchart PDF will open in a new tab).

Not all local authorities have introduced CIL yet – it is not in Scotland, the majority of Wales or Northern Ireland. In England around a third of local authorities have not yet introduced the levy. But where it has been introduced the figures go to £830 per square metre including the Mayoral CIL charge in London!!

If you are confused by CIL it is one of the subjects that we can cover in our Zoom calls with Ian. You can book a session here.