Infrastructure planning and the community infrastructure levy

Infrastructure planning

New development creates a need for new infrastructure. Plans must therefore be supported by a thorough assessment of what infrastructure will be needed to support new development, when it will be needed, and how it will be paid for.

Infrastructure planning is also a national policy requirement. Local planning authorities should work with other authorities and providers to "assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure for:

• transport;
• water supply;
• wastewater and its treatment;
• energy (including heat);
• telecommunications;
• utilities;
• waste;
• health; social care;
• education;
• flood risk; and
• coastal change management

and its ability to meet forecast demands", as explained at Paragraph 162 of The National Planning Policy Framework.

View the National Planning Policy Framework on GOV.UK.

We are currently developing an Infrastructure Delivery Plan to support our other planning work on employment and housing, and an eventual Local Plan. This will assist us in assessing the state of the District's infrastructure and the possible effect of new development on it. It will also identify where the gaps are, where funding may be available, and when this funding may be required.

Infrastructure Funding Statement 2021/2022

Infrastructure Funding Statement 2021/2022 (PDF: 669Kb / 20 pages)

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

An Infrastructure Delivery Plan is the first step in determining whether the introduction of a CIL would be appropriate for the District. A CIL, if introduced, would require a flat-rate financial contribution from developers to help pay for the different types of infrastructure required to support new development. We will also be carrying out work to gauge whether there would be enough economic incentive to provide new development with infrastructure requirements in place, which will also inform whether a levy will be introduced and what rates would be applied.

See Community Infrastructure Levy on the Planning Portal for more information.