Should CIL fund the roll-out of superfast broadband?
Local authorities are divided on the use of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to fund the roll-out of super-fast broadband, say solicitors Malcolm Dowden and Jen Hawkins in NLJ. Some want to fund broadband, others prefer to leave it up to communications companies.
Dowden and Hawkins argue that, whatever the local authority’s viewpoint, any decision must be based on “robust evidence” to avoid the risk of legal challenge.
A CIL is a financial charge that local authorities can, at their discretion, charge on development as long as any money raised is used to fund local infrastructure. There is no exhaustive definition of "infrastructure" and it can include, for example, sporting facilities, roads or broadband.
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