header-logo header-logo

It's a jungle out there

14 May 2009 / Romola Parish
Issue: 7369 / Categories: Features , Local government , Public , Community care
printer mail-detail

The Community Infrastructure Levy & other animals, by Romola Parish

* * * * * *

A recurrent theme in planning law is the thorny issue of how best to “tax” development. This is highly topical at present when planning contributions are estimated to have fallen from £9bn last year to £3bn this year, and are expected to fall further. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), enacted by the Planning Act 2008 (PA 2008), is the latest in a long history of short-lived “development taxes”, “planning gain supplements”, and similar mechanisms that extend the reach of the existing s 106 agreements.

The CIL is one of the most controversial aspects of PA 2008 because of the way in which it restructures the basis of planning contributions to raise funds for specific regional infrastructure projects. Infrastructure is defined in PA 2008 to include roads, flood defences, educational, medical and sporting facilities, open space and housing.

As originally drafted, the rate of CIL was to be based on the increase in land value

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Pillsbury—Steven James

Pillsbury—Steven James

Firm boosts London IP capability with high-profile technology sector hire

Clarke Willmott—Michelle Seddon

Clarke Willmott—Michelle Seddon

Private client specialist joins as partner in Taunton office

DWF—Rory White-Andrews

DWF—Rory White-Andrews

Finance and restructuring offering strengthened by partner hire in London

NEWS
Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys LLP [2025] EWHC 2341 (KB) continues to stir controversy across civil litigation, according to NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School—AKA ‘The insider’
SRA v Goodwin is a rare disciplinary decision where a solicitor found to have acted dishonestly avoided being struck off, says Clare Hughes-Williams of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) imposed a 12-month suspension instead, citing medical evidence and the absence of harm to clients
In their latest Family Law Brief for NLJ, Ellie Hampson-Jones and Carla Ditz of Stewarts review three key family law rulings, including the latest instalment in the long-running saga of Potanin v Potanina
The Asian International Arbitration Centre’s sweeping reforms through its AIAC Suite of Rules 2026, unveiled at Asia ADR Week, are under examination in this week's NLJ by John (Ching Jack) Choi of Gresham Legal
In this week's issue of NLJ, Yasseen Gailani and Alexander Martin of Quinn Emanuel report on the High Court’s decision in Skatteforvaltningen (SKAT) v Solo Capital Partners LLP & Ors [2025], where Denmark’s tax authority failed to recover £1.4bn in disputed dividend tax refunds
back-to-top-scroll