Torbay Council is consulting with residents and businesses on revised proposals for how much it charges developers under the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and where then to invest the income.

The Community Infrastructure Levy requires developers to pay a charge to the council after planning permission is granted for any new development which creates net additional floor space of 100 square metres or more.

The council is entitled to ask developers to pay for some of the infrastructure or other needs which their development generates. New-build houses or flats are also liable to pay the CIL even if less than 100 square metres in size, unless built by a “self-builder” and an exemption is obtained.

The Community Infrastructure Levy is intended to deliver infrastructure, to support planned growth in the Bay as set out in the new Local Plan. Torbay Council has revised the CIL charges for developers, which were previously consulted on in early 2015.

The new levy supports delivery by local house builders on smaller sites and introduces a higher levy on Greenfield sites and for larger out of town retail development.

A Torbay Council spokesperson said “CIL is an important way in which locally needed infrastructure can be funded and we want to ensure the views of residents and businesses are taken into consideration when setting the new levy charge.

“In working up our CIL proposals, we particularly wanted to ensure that we support development in town centres and in our more disadvantaged communities, but also wanted to ensure local house builders are encouraged to build on smaller sites. Therefore we’ve made a number of changes to the CIL to reduce the rate we charge in disadvantaged communities and town centres and offer longer periods for repayment.”

The Revised Draft Charging Schedule is open for public comment until 29 April 2016 and can be found here: www.torbay.gov.uk/ldfplanningcontributions

Following public consultation, the proposals will be reported to full Council in May. They will be then submitted to the government, who will hold an independent public inquiry to consider Torbay’s proposed CIL.