Stratford-on-Avon District Council is responsible for making the final decision on the allocation of funding raised through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). The CIL Spending Protocol set out within Section 6 of the Infrastructure Funding Statement sets out the process for how the Council will identify and agree priorities for the use of CIL and the allocation of funds on an annual basis.
CIL collected will be used to provide infrastructure to support growth within the District. Of this:
- 5% will be used to provide a dedicated resource for the annual monitoring and management required by the CIL regulations
- Either 15% or 25% of receipts accruing from development within the Parish will be allocated to the relevant Parish or Town Council
- Remaining CIL monies will be allocated by the Council for investment in infrastructure for the District.
Parish Council CIL Spend
Parishes that have a ‘made' Neighbourhood Development Plan will receive 25% of receipts accruing from development within their parish. Parishes without a ‘made' plan, including those where a plan is in preparation, will receive 15%, capped at £100 per dwelling in accordance with the CIL regulations. It will be for individual parish councils to determine how their portion of CIL receipts is spend, but they must meet the following criteria as set out by CIL regulations:
- The provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure; or
- Anything else that is concerned with addressing the demands that development places on an area.
Monitoring and Reporting CIL Spend
The District Council is required to report annually on a range of CIL monitoring information relating to income and spend. Full details are set out within the Council's annual Infrastructure Funding Statements and summaries are set out on an annual basis below:
Where a Parish Council is in receipt of CIL funds, it is required to publish a range of information on its website and send a copy to the District Council no later than 31st December following the reported year. The report to be completed and sent to the District Council will follow this template. Where a Parish Council has not received any CIL monies they do not have to publish a report but may wish to publish some information to this effect in the interests of transparency.
Whilst all of the District is parished, not all parishes have formal elected Parish Councils. In such areas, the District Council will act as spending authority on behalf of the community. It will engage with the local community and agree with them, via the Ward Councillor, how the funds should be best spent. Some Parish Councils may wish for the Council to hold and its CIL funds on its behalf. In such cases, the District Council will report this separately.
In accordance with the CIL regulations, if a Parish Council does not spend its CIL receipts within 5 years, or does not spend it on initiatives that support the development of the area, the Council may require it to repay some or all those funds to the Council.
