West Berkshire Council cited in Parliament as example of good practice on Community Infrastructure Levy
Council was highlighted for its fair approach to the Community Infrastructure Levy, including reviewing cases and returning money to homeowners.
West Berkshire Council has been recognised in Parliament for its approach towards the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for private homeowners.
The debate at Westminster Hall yesterday (Wednesday 29 April) examined how CIL - originally designed to ensure developers contribute towards local infrastructure - has in some cases had unintended and severe consequences for individual householders, particularly where mistakes were made in completing complex exemption paperwork.
During the debate, West Berkshire Council was highlighted on several occasions as an example of good practice for the action it has taken to address this issue locally. MPs referred to the Council's introduction of a discretionary CIL household review scheme, which allowed residents who believe they were unfairly charged to have their cases reviewed.
Introduced two years ago, this review process was introduced to support homeowners who became liable for CIL payments as a result of mistakes in paperwork which, had they been completed correctly, would have resulted in an exemption. The Council has completed these reviews and has agreed discretionary payments to affected homeowners, with payments ranging from £12,000 to £40,000, returning money that residents should not have been liable to pay. The retrospective review scheme has now closed, but processes are in place to ensure that homeowners can raise concerns and seek a review at the point a CIL decision is made.
Participants in the parliamentary debate noted that while councils must operate within a strict national legal framework, West Berkshire Council had acted reasonably and proportionately where the law allows discretion. The Council's approach was contrasted with that taken elsewhere, and cited as evidence that local authorities can take constructive action to remedy injustice while remaining within the regulations.
The Government used the debate to confirm that it intends to consult on reforms to the Community Infrastructure Levy system, particularly to reduce the risk of homeowners being unfairly caught by complex administrative requirements in future.
Councillor Jeff Brooks, Leader of West Berkshire Council, said:
"We've always believed that fairness has to sit at the heart of how the Community Infrastructure Levy is applied. I'm very proud that West Berkshire was highlighted in Parliament for the steps we've taken to review cases where residents were caught out by genuinely confusing processes, and to return money where it should never have been charged. Recognising when something isn't working as intended and taking action is simply the right thing to do, and I welcome the growing recognition that this approach should be adopted more widely."
West Berkshire Council welcomes the commitment to national reform and remains focused on fairness, transparency and listening to residents. The discretionary CIL household review scheme remains open to other eligible residents who believe they may have been wrongly charged and wish to apply for their case to be reviewed.
The full debate is available to watch on Parliament.TV here.
