Buckinghamshire Council has been urged to get developers to help fund infrastructure, facilities and services for large new housing estates.

Councils can charge developers a levy on new developments to help pay for things like nearby roads, schools and GP surgeries.

It is called a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and councils have the powers to set the rates for the charge.

Separately, local authorities can also enter what are called ‘Section 106’ agreements with housing developers to ensure they contribute towards supporting the provision of services and infrastructure.

Buckinghamshire Council is currently working on a new CIL charging schedule and is considering whether to exempt developers from paying the charge on ‘large’ developments – those of 400 homes or more.

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The rationale, according to the council, is that the companies behind large developments are typically expected to pay for more significant infrastructure due to the greater impact of such sites.

The authority argues that if CIL is added to the ‘burden’ of infrastructure costs, including Section 106 contributions and affordable housing, this may make projects less viable for developers.

However, Independent councillor Stuart Wilson has warned that not charging CIL on large developments would ‘limit’ the council’s ability to improve infrastructure and mitigate the impact of huge housing developments such as Hollands Farm in his Wooburns, Bourne End and Hedsor ward.

Cllr Wilson, who leads the Impact Alliance opposition group at the council, sought assurance from council leaders about CIL during Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting.

He said: “I would ask the cabinet to seriously consider whether or not we want nil band rating on large developments.

“I think that has significant implications for this council. I think it has significant implications for town and parish councils who we have encouraged to have made neighbourhood plans to get CIL.”

Council leader Martin Tett responded by saying that no decision had been made on whether to avoid levying CIL on large developments.

He told the meeting: “I absolutely recognise the need to maximise the amount of available benefit, effectively, for the community.

“The challenge always is that the developers say if you extract too much, the viability of the site goes down, you lose affordable housing. They can’t put so much into Section 106 and so on, so it is a question of getting that balance right.”

The council’s cabinet member for planning Peter Strachan said that the issue of whether the council should not charge CIL on large sites would be considered further and brought back to council.

He said: “Clearly the council wishes to maximise the income available for infrastructure, taking account of the overall viability of development.”

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