Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to individuals who have been incorrectly charged a community infrastructure levy.

A person who considers a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charge to have been incorrectly calculated can seek a formal review of the calculation by the levy charging authority. They may also seek an independent assessment of the calculation through an appeal to the Valuation Office Agency if deemed necessary following review by the authority.

There are also provisions in levy regulations enabling a person to seek an independent appeal via the Planning Inspectorate against any surcharges imposed by the levy charging authority.

Separately, a person can escalate any concerns with how their local authority has handled a particular matter, including CIL, through the authority’s official complaints process. Concerns can be subsequently further escalated, if considered necessary and appropriate, to the Local Authority Ombudsman.

The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions, including CIL, and we will provide further details in due course.