West Oxfordshire District Council to introduce new Community Infrastructure Levy

Subject to a 6-week public consultation on a new draft ‘charging schedule’, due to begin in the autumn, the Council will take forward proposals to require certain forms of residential and commercial development to make a financial contribution towards infrastructure projects. The amount payable will be fixed and will be based on the size of development proposed.  

Councillor Andy Graham, Leader of the Council said: “Introducing CIL is a huge step forward for West Oxfordshire and will help to ensure that new developments are supported by the right investment in supporting infrastructure.  

“CIL will help us raise valuable funds to help provide new and improved infrastructure, facilities and services - such as schools or transport improvements – needed to support new homes and businesses.  

“Importantly, a proportion of the money received through CIL will be passed directly to the local Town or Parish Council within which the development is taking place so that decisions on how the money is spent are taken locally.” 

“CIL does not replace Section 106 developer contributions, which apply to larger schemes and are used to mitigate the impact of the development they apply to directly. CIL will be applied to smaller developments that are not generally subject to Section 106 contributions, and as such will provide flexibility and help to address the cumulative impact of small-scale developments.” 

A draft CIL charging schedule has now been prepared and will be approved at the July meeting of the Council's Executive for public consultation in due course.  

After the consultation closes, officers will review the responses received and unless any major concerns are raised, the charging schedule will be submitted for independent examination later in the year.