CREWE TOWN COUNCIL
Community Infrastructure Levy Allocation Policy
Adopted by Council: 29th March 2024
Planned Review Date: May 2025
Introduction
- This document details the governance arrangements in place at Crewe Town Council for the allocation and spending of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)
- Developers pay this levy to the Charging Authority (Cheshire East Council) which passes 15% of CIL receipts to the Town Council, this is known as the Neighbourhood Portion. This needs to be spent on locally determined infrastructure in areas where development takes place. This will rise to 25% should the Council have an adopted Neighbourhood Plan in place.
Background
- Cheshire East Council Council approved the introduction of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) in 2019 and started charging 1st March 2019. CIL is now paid to Cheshire East Council by developers after their planning permissions are implemented. Since CIL was implemented, it has become the only significant means by which Cheshire East Council is able to collect and pool developer contributions to deliver infrastructure improvements.
- CIL is governed by the CIL Regulations 2010 (amended). From 1 April 2019, Cheshire East Council became the charging authority for the borough and administers the Charging Schedules for the Crewe area.
- CIL is just one funding stream that can be used, in conjunction with others, to fund projects. Alongside CIL, S106 obligations will still exist, but generally as one-off agreements to mitigate the impacts of larger developments and to secure on-site developer requirements, such as the provision of affordable housing.
What can CTC fund with its portion of CIL
- CIL can only be spent on funding infrastructure in the Town Council’s local area, and allocations must demonstrate consultation with the local community. The Town Council must use CIL money to support the development of the local council’s area, by funding:
- the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure; or
- anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.
- Typically, there are three broad categories of infrastructure:
- Social infrastructure: e.g. art and culture, sports halls, education, health, social care, emergency services, community centres, village halls
- Physical infrastructure: e.g. pavements, cycleways, flood defences, highways, transport links
- Green infrastructure: e.g. play areas, public open space, woodlands
- The Town Council must be able to demonstrate that it is using CIL in consultation with residents to develop projects for funding that contribute to the infrastructure priorities in the area.
- The Town Council should spend its local CIL monies within five years of receipt. Where money is not used to support the development of the area within five years of receipt, or is used for other purposes, the CIL Regulations give the Local Authority the power to recover those funds. This is to ensure that money is spent effectively to the benefit of the local community.
- The Town Council is required to produce a publicly available annual report on how much CIL money we have received and how much has been spent. This will include a list of all the projects funded through CIL and an itemised cost for each one.
How CTC will allocate CIL
- Councillors can request CIL funding using the form in the appendix. Councillors are requested to speak with officers prior to submitting the form for guidance and assistance.
- Completed form will go through the Finance and Governance Committee, for recommendation to Full Council where the request is in excess of £10,000, who will determine the application. In cases where funding is required urgently or for major, strategic projects with implications across the Council, an application could be sent to Full Council directly.
- This process will be reviewed on an annual basis to consider its ongoing effectiveness for distributing Crewe CIL monies.
Appendix – Crewe Town Council – CIL Neighbourhood Portion Bid Form
| Applicant Details: | |
| Cllr name | |
| Project Details:
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| Brief description of project:
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| What area will the project cover?
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| What communities will benefit from the allocation?
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| Briefly describe how the scheme will support and benefit the development of your local area by funding either:
a) the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure; or b) anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area:
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| Please confirm which of the Councils priorities this project contributes to:
ð Improve the wellbeing of the people of Crewe. ð Manage the Council’s assets and resources responsibly and transparently. ð Manage the Council’s services effectively to meet the needs of the communities we serve. ð Work to become greener and cleaner in our activities as well as supporting our communities and partners to be as green as possible. ð Work with partners to deliver our core values and strategy.
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| Community Support: | |
| How do you know that the community want this? Please detail any consultation that has taken place or is needed.
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| Is this proposal supported by local Ward Councillors representing the area where the project will be located? If yes, please provide confirmation below:
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| In addition to any Ward Councillor support, please provide confirmation of other local community support for the project:
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| Project Cost (including VAT): | |
| Total project cost | £ |
| What is the cost breakdown i.e. to show expected budget lines on salaries (plus employer national insurance and pension contributions), overheads, marketing, building works, maintenance, equipment hire, feasibility etc.
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| Total external funding secured: | £ |
| Total CIL funds sought: | £ |
| Delivery Details: | |
| If this is a new project, has a PID/Committee Report been agreed by the Council? Y/N
If yes, please give details
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| If a PID/Committee Report has not been agreed by the Council, please confirm that you have contacted an officer to discuss and please detail any relevant information below e.g. who is preparing the PID and what timescales are involved.
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| Does this link to any existing Council projects? Y/N
If yes, please give the details:
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| Additional Information: | |
| Please detail any additional information that you feel may be helpful to this application. | |
