Fairness in CIL Charges

This week, I have submitted an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to tackle a problem I know has affected many people locally and across the country: unfair Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charges caused by technical errors.

CIL was introduced to ensure developers contribute toward local infrastructure like schools, roads, and health services. That principle is right. But too often, innocent mistakes in paperwork have led to households being landed with enormous, life-changing bills.

Here in West Berkshire, the council recognised this injustice last year and created a discretionary review scheme. Out of seven reviews, six families were found to have been unfairly charged after making simple mistakes, with refunds ranging from £12,000 to £40,000. I welcome this compassionate, common-sense approach.

But this fairness should not be down to the discretion of one council. Elsewhere, homeowners have been ruined by CIL charges. In Surrey, one man was pursued for more than £67,000 after a paperwork oversight on a modest home extension, a battle that dragged on for five years before being overturned. This postcode lottery is unacceptable.

That is why my amendment requires the Secretary of State to issue national guidance within six months of the Bill becoming law. This guidance must:

• Define what counts as a technical error in CIL.

• Set out clear processes for review and, where appropriate, waiving or reducing charges.

• Ensure charges are proportionate when errors are found.

• Establish time limits for resolving disputes.

  
  

I am determined that no family should lose their home or life savings because of an administrative slip-up. This amendment is about restoring fairness, building trust, and ensuring CIL works as it was intended, to support communities, not punish them.