The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is now the main way of securing developer contributions towards the delivery of infrastructure and services to support growth in the District.

There are a number of benefits of CIL as it provides:

- additional funding to help local authorities deliver infrastructure projects that support growth

- flexibility and freedom to set priorities for funding at a local level

- provides developers with more certainty about contribution levels

- gives greater transparency for local people about how new development contributes to their community.

CIL was introduced this month in East Cambridgeshire and planning permissions issued for new dwellings and retail development from now on may be liable for the charge.

However, not all developments are subject to the levy. For example, extensions to houses under 100 sq m floorspace are exempt, and commercial/industrial developments have been zero rated.

To help officers have been talking to the development industry to advise on its introduction and what needs to be done and www.eastcambs.gov.uk has been updated to include a special section with information about the charging schedule, notification forms, guidelines for planning applicants and FAQ's.

Councillor Peter Moakes, Chairman of Development and Transport Committee at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: "The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) will change forever how we fund future growth in the district. CIL allows for a number of developer contributions to be pooled in order deliver larger scale infrastructure needs which would benefit the whole of East Cambridgeshire. The challenge now is to ensure developers understand the new rules and most importantly we use the money wisely to support the projects which our growing district needs. I am very positive about the changes this new policy will bring to East Cambridgeshire and I am proud of how the authority has worked to deliver it so quickly."

The District Council is the 11th authority in the country to implement CIL as they replace, in a majority of cases, the previous complex ‘Section 106’ negotiations and agreements

Details of the scheme and how it will operate are available at www.eastcambs.gov.uk or for more information please call 01353 665555.