Growing Stronger Communities Together
The GNGB have published their project-specific IIF allocations through their joint Five Year Infrastructure Investment Plan on an annual basis since 2016, before it became a legislative requirement to publish this information within an Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS). Greater Norwich’s unique CIL pooling arrangements does not concur with a requirement to report CIL allocations on a District specific basis, because their partnership approach delivers infrastructure cross boundaries. Therefore all CIL re-allocation information required within an IFS continues to be publicly reported within the GNGB’s Five Year Infrastructure Investment Plan.
For information regarding CIL income receipted by the three partner planning authorities please see their Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS):
Allocations from the IIF are currently restricted to the four thematic groups as agreed within the Greater Norwich adopted CIL charging policy. These are Transport, Education, Green Infrastructure and Community (which includes sports). When CIL was initially adopted, local authorities were required to report a Regulation 123 list confirming the infrastructure thematic groups which were considered within their CIL charging calculations and therefore the groups to which CIL can be reallocated to. The need for this list was withdrawn by legislation from September 2019, but this does not automatically allow other groups to apply to the IIF because the Greater Norwich authorities are still adhering to their locally adopted CIL charging policy.
The GNGB understand the funding pressures that other infrastructure thematic groups are experiencing and were planning to undertake a review of CIL alongside the development of the Greater Norwich Local Plan. However, this was put on hold following the publication of the Planning For The Future - White Paper in August 2020, which proposed the cessation of CIL in favour of a new Infrastructure Levy. This change was re-confirmed in the Levelling Up the United Kingdom – White Paper in February 2022 and the Levelling up and Regeneration Act which includes the introduction of a new Infrastructure Levy.
A technical consultation on the Infrastructure Levy closed in June 2023 and was quickly followed by an All-Party Parliamentary Group inquiry into developer contributions in September. Responses to these will be used to inform the design of the new Levy but the government has confirmed that this represents a significant change to the system, one that will be brought forward gradually over time using a ‘test and learn’ rollout. Until the timetable for any changes to CIL are known and the supporting regulations are agreed, the GNGB are required to proceed with their existing adopted CIL charging policy.