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South Holland District Council bosses say rules to make developers pay for infrastructure is not viable here despite calls from Long Sutton Parish Council to adopt them




Council bosses insist an infrastructure levy is not ‘viable or appropriate’ — despite repeated calls from a parish council to introduce one to help pay for services to cope with new housing developments.

Long Sutton Parish Council has been lobbying for South Holland District Council to introduce new rules to replace the current system of developer contributions from planning applications - known as ‘section 106’.

The system has drawn criticism from opponents who argue it does not deliver the infrastructure the area needs — and who feel it is too easy for housebuilders to wriggle out of their commitments.

Two councils are debating how to make developers pay for new infrastructure. Photo: stock
Two councils are debating how to make developers pay for new infrastructure. Photo: stock

The parish council says a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) could instead be used to force developers to pay up — and that a portion of the cash could go directly to theirs and other councils to spend directly on the priorities of residents living near to new housing estates.

However, a South Holland District Council spokesman said: “The council is aware of the position of Long Sutton Parish Council and has explained its positioning and reasoning on this issue to them previously.

“Furthermore, the council has previously written to all parish councils in respect of s106 contributions and has encouraged them to actively engage with the process.

“The introduction of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) was explored through the 2019 Local Plan process where it was considered and agreed at the Local Plan Examination that it was not viable or appropriate for South Holland at the time.

“This would naturally be reviewed when we come to formally update the Local Plan.

“The previous Government were proposing a new Infrastructure Levy, however, this would require secondary legislation to be brought into force.

“This is not currently in place and the new Government’s direction of travel on this issue remains to be seen.”

Long Sutton councillors want powers to be able to get developers to contribute to improvements in their town and parish. PHOTO: STOCK
Long Sutton councillors want powers to be able to get developers to contribute to improvements in their town and parish. PHOTO: STOCK

The parish council said the Community Infrastructure Levy Legislation came into force in April 2010 — and was a viable alternative nine years before the South East Lincolnshire Plan was adopted.

A spokesman for Long Sutton Parish Council said: “Long Sutton Parish Council have been lobbying SHDC to adopt CIL for many years so that parish councils would be able receive a percentage of the CIL contributions directly to spend in their community and developer’s obligations regarding contributions would be mandatory but to no avail.

“With all new applications for housing developments Long Sutton Parish Council objects and requests that CIL be adopted to prevent developers negating their contributions by amendments after permission is granted and request that SHDC to refuse such applications from developers to reduce their S106 obligations.”

The parish council feels the council has already missed opportunities to review the policy and that the area has missed out on a large amount of funding as a result of not adopting the CIL.



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