Developers in Tamworth to pay a community levy

An aerial view of Tamworth

From today certain planning permissions granted in Tamworth will be subject to a new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) which will generate a fund to be spent on improving the town’s overall infrastructure.

A list of appropriate potential projects that could be wholly or partly funded by the CIL has been drawn up, and includes refurbishment of the Castle Grounds play area, a new community leisure centre, a skate park and other play areas, new footpaths and cycleways.

Cllr Steve Claymore, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Heritage and Growth said:”When new building projects are proposed for Tamworth, measures are often required to mitigate the wider impact of these works. This could be things like new school places, an access road, a play area and so on. Previously this money has been collected through section 106 agreements, and while this still be used in certain circumstances, the new Community Infrastructure Levy means money is not tied to a particular development or infrastructure project.”

Section 106 agreements, which are common to many developments, relate to making specific developments acceptable in purely planning terms, whereas the new CIL is designed to ensure that the overall infrastructure of the town keeps pace with the rate of growth it undergoes.

The new CIL will require developers to contribute to the fund which can then be allocated to a variety of infrastructure projects anywhere in the Borough. The chosen projects have been identified in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, and there are exemptions for small scale builds of less than 100 sq metres, plus self build projects, social housing and charitable developments.

There is also a process being put in place that offers some reliefs from the CIL if its charge makes a project unviable in exceptional and special circumstances.

Cllr Claymore added:”The bottom line though is that Tamworth is growing and it is vital that this growth is supported by the necessary level of infrastructure and services across the town as a whole.”

Close