Calculating and paying CIL

Charging Rates 

The Council's charging schedule (PDF) came into force on 1 February 2013 (indexation updated January 2024).

The CIL charging rates are set out in the table below. The rates will be levied in £ per m² of net additional floor space and then an indexation rate applied. 

What is included as CIL chargeable floorspace? 

The area, measured as the gross internal area (GIA), is per floor and includes all buildings including garages. 

What types of development are liable to pay CIL?  

The levy may be payable on development which creates net additional floor space, where the gross internal area of new build is 100 square metres or more. That limit does not apply to new houses or flats, and a charge can be levied on a single house or flat of any size, but see below for details of exemptions and reliefs from the levy that may be available. 

Calculating the Levy  

Development type  - Use class

 CIL base rate (2013)

Adopted CIL charging rates 

2024

Revised charging rates after indexation applied (in accordance with the CIL regulations applied annually) 

Applicable to planning applications granted from 1 January 2024)

Residential Zone A – Littleport and Soham (C3)

£40

£67.14

Residential Zone B – Ely (C3)

£70

£117.49

Residential Zone C - Rest of the district (C3)

£90

£151.06

Retail development* Use Class E (previously A1/A2/A3/A4/A5) and sui generis uses akin to retail (e.g. petrol filling stations and motor-sales units)

£120

£201.41

 BCIS AITPI rate used

227

381

*The retail levy will generally be applied to separate retail units, even where these are part of the same planning application. The main exception to this will be where retail uses are part of the same operation – for example, supermarkets which have on-site petrol stations and fast-food outlets; In these cases the operation will be measured as one development. 

What is indexation and how does it affect the levy calculation? 

In calculating individual charges for the levy, regulation 40 as amended by the 2014 Regulations (external link) requires collecting authorities to apply an index of inflation to keep the levy responsive to market conditions. The index is the national All-In Tender Price Index of construction costs published by the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Please call CIL team on (01353) 665555 for the indexation rate applied on older planning applications in order to assist in your calculation of the Levy.  

In calculating individual charges for the levy, Schedule 1 (external link)requires collecting authorities to apply an index of inflation to each relevant CIL rate to keep the levy responsive to market conditions. From 1 January 2022, the index is the RICS Building Index for CIL published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors website (external link). This annual index figure will be published on or around 1 November each year and will apply from 1 January of the following year for the whole calendar year. 

Before 2020, the index figure is the figure for 1 November for the preceding calendar year in the national All-in Tender Price Index published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 

When is CIL payable?  

CIL is payable upon commencement of development. The liable party or their agent/architect is required to submit a Commencement Notice Form 6 (PDF) to the Council, to notify them of works starting on site for all chargeable development. Where a relief/exemption from the CIL has been granted; should a commencement notice not be submitted prior to commencement, the CIL Regulations, as updated September 2019, make provision for the Collecting Authority to apply a proportionate penalty as a surcharge which must be paid; this surcharge is £2,500 or 20% of the chargeable amount; whichever is lower. 

Once the Commencement Notice has been received, the Council will issue a Demand Notice. This will detail who is liable for payment, confirm the amount payable as well as any reliefs or surcharges and it will also specify the dates and instalment amounts, if East Cambs Instalment Policy (PDF) has been triggered, on which payments are due. Where the Instalment Policy does not apply, the chargeable amount must be paid in full within 60 days of the notified or deemed commencement date of the chargeable development as stipulated by CIL Regulation 67.  

Where East Cambs District Council CIL instalment policy does apply, in accordance with the CIL Regulations 2010 (as amended 2019), where a commencement notice has not been submitted prior to commencement of the chargeable development a Demand Notice will be issued for the whole chargeable amount and will be payable immediately. 

How can I make a payment? 

1. BACS & On-line banking: Please ensure you enter the CIL Reference Number (starting with BC) which can be found on the Demand Notice you should have received, as the payment reference. Each payment due will have its own reference, please ensure you use the correct one.  

Pay via Online banking or BACS to the Council's bank account: 

Sort Code: 52-41-19 

Account Number: 43135897 

2. Phone: Please call Customer Services Team (01353) 665555 and have your credit/debit card details to hand. You will need to quote the CIL payment reference number, which can be found on the Demand Notice (the CIL reference number starts with BC) please ensure you provide the correct reference number.  

NB If you do not use the Correct CIL reference number when making a payment, it could delay acknowledgement of your payment and may result in further payment requests.  

3. By cheque: Payment by cheque payable to East Cambridgeshire District Council may be sent to The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambs, CB7 4EE, with the CIL REFERENCE NUMBER on the reverse of the cheque. 

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Instalment Policy 

In accordance with Regulation 69B of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended 2011), East Cambridgeshire District Council will allow the payment of CIL by instalments as set out in the policy below. This approach of allowing payments over a longer period will assist with cash flow and development viability. If the liability is over £30,000 the Instalment Policy is triggered and the instalments and dates due will be set out in your Demand Notice.  

NB: This Instalment Policy will not be available if liability has not been assumed and a Commencement Notice has not been submitted before the relevant development commences or if payments are not made in time.  

The following types of development are exempt from CIL: 

  • Where there is no extension of floorspace as a result of the development
  • Any development where the gross internal area of the new build is less than 100 square metres.  This might, for example, include a small extension to a house.  It should be noted that this exemption does not apply to the creation of one of more dwellings
  • Development resulting from a change of use, where the building has been in continuous use for at least six months in the three years prior to the development being permitted, and no new floorspace is created 
  • Vacant buildings brought back into the same use, see regulation 40 as amended by the 2014 Regulations (external link)
  • Any development which is zero rated on the approved charging schedule for East Cambridgeshire
  • Any development where the total chargeable amount is less than £50 (this is deemed as zero rated)
  • Reserved matters planning permissions where outline planning permission was granted prior to 1 February 2013
  • Retail mezzanines
  • Mezzanine floors, inserted into an existing building, are not liable for the levy unless they form part of a wider planning permission that seeks to provide other works as well
  • Structures or buildings that people only enter for the purpose of inspecting or maintaining fixed plant or machinery
  • Any floorspace where the head height is less than 1.5m2 (unless under a stairway)

Reliefs 

Some developments may be eligible for relief or exemption from the CIL. Please note that strict requirements apply with regard to the timing of the exemption process and you should refer to our CIL the process pages for details. In most cases a Commencement Notice (form 6) must also be served prior to the commencement of development, in order for the exemption to apply. Where a commencement notice has not been submitted for a CIL liable development which has been granted an exemption and commences, a proportionate penalty as a surcharge will be applied and must be paid. This surcharge which is either £2,500 or 20% of the chargeable amount whichever is lower, will be requested for straight away from the liable persons. 

Can existing buildings be taken into account when calculating a new levy charge? 

In certain circumstances the floorspace of an existing building can be taken into account in calculating the chargeable amount. Each case is a matter for the collecting authority to judge. Please see East Cambs CIL lawful in-use buildings guidance (PDF) for further information.  

Where part of an existing building has been in lawful use for a continuous period of 6 months within the past 3 years, parts of that building that are to be demolished or retained can be taken into account. The way those parts are taken into account is set out in the formula in regulation 40(7) as amended by the 2014 Regulations (external link)

Where an existing building does not meet the 6 month lawful use requirement, its demolition (or partial demolition) is not taken into account. However, parts of that building that are to be retained as part of the chargeable development can still be taken into account if the intended use matches a use that could have lawfully been carried out without requiring a new planning permission. The detailed requirements are set out in regulation 40 as amended by the 2014 Regulations (external link). Because there must be a lawful use, parts of that building where the use has been abandoned cannot be taken into account here.