The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge placed on development, such as new homes and extensions to homes, according to their floor area.
You will need to pay CIL if you are:
If you are a building your own home, extending your home or building a residential annex within the grounds of your own home you may be able to apply for an exemption from paying CIL.
The CIL process begins when you submit a planning application.
If you need to pay CIL, you can follow a step-by-step guide and download all relevant forms on our Community Infrastructure Levy Process page.
If your development consists of one or more new dwellings in European nature conservation areas within New Forest, you will have to pay a financial contribution.
The CIL charge for all residential development for 2021, including sheltered housing and extensions, is payable at a rate of £102.46 per square metre (rounded). The formula to calculate this is index-linked and published by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
To find out how much you will need to pay, use our CIL Online Calculator. The amount is linked to the year in which planning permission for your development was granted.
You can download our CIL Charging Schedule below. This explains the methods used to calculate the CIL and the rates within New Forest. Note that this document features the 2015 CIL rate of £80 per square metre, not the current rate of £102.46 per square metre (rounded) which is calculated at the 2021 index rate.
CIL charging schedule [277.36KB]
The chargeable floorspace is measured as the gross internal area (GIA) of the property. This is per floor and includes all buildings, including garages.
More information can be found in a guidance document on the RICS website called Code of Measuring Practice.
Existing floorspace is not taken into account when determining CIL liability. It is possible to receive a reduction on your CIL charge, if the existing floorspace has been in continuous lawful use for six months in the three-year period to when permission is granted.
It is your responsibility to provide evidence to demonstrate the continuous lawful use. To demonstrate this, you can submit a combination of the following:
We will require further evidence of continuous use if it is not evident from the information supplied. We will not consider the existing floor area as deductible floor area unless the applicant demonstrates this.
Appeals can be lodged against some aspects of the CIL charge. The full range of available appeals are detailed in the document below.
CIL appeals guidance [193.06KB]
If you disagree with the CIL liability calculated in the Liability Notice, you can request a review under Regulation 113 of the CIL Regulations. The review must be requested before the end of 28 days, beginning on the day on which the Liability Notice was issued.
CIL payments are due when you start your development. You will need to complete and send us a Commencement Notice so we know when work is starting. From the Planning Portal website, you can download a Commencement Notice below.
Form 6: CIL commencement notice [292KB]
Once you have completed this form, you can send it to the Planning team at any council office or email it to planning@nfdc.gov.uk.
We will then send you a demand notice. This has details on who is liable for payment and the amount payable, including any reliefs or surcharges.
The Demand Notice will also tell you the dates on which payments are due and whether you can appeal. You can find out more by downloading our Instalment Policy document below.
CIL Instalment Policy [104.07KB]
We may consider requests for part or full payment of the CIL by the provision of land or infrastructure. You can find out more by downloading our Payment in Kind Policy document below.
CIL payment in kind policy [104.12KB]
If you are intending to apply for relief from CIL then this must be applied before any works commence on site. We cannot process requests for relief retrospectively after commencement. We will acknowledge receipt of exemption form and the commencement notice.
The money collected by CIL is divided into three areas:
The strategic spending CIL collection needs to fund infrastructure that supports development in the district. Our Infrastructure Delivery Plan has identified infrastructure projects that are required to deliver development up to 2036.
We are required to publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement annually which sets out the amount of money we have received through both S106 and CIL together with the projects this has delivered, you can view our infrastructure funding statement here.
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