Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 17
17
Accepted
Local communities require greater transparency on how CIL receipts are spent.
Conclusion
It is important that existing local communities and new residents see the benefits of development, with new local and regional infrastructure being delivered alongside housing. This is especially the case when local authorities choose to pool CIL receipts to deliver large infrastructure projects. Whilst the Government should encourage local authorities to deliver strategic infrastructure using CIL receipts where appropriate, it must provide support for all local authorities to publish Infrastructure Funding Statements (IFSs) annually, to ensure residents can see how CIL receipts are spent. Local planning authorities must also ensure their IFS considers plans for public sector investment in infrastructure, including from borough and county councils, alongside new major developments. (Conclusion, Paragraph 88)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledged viability pressures in London, highlighted existing affordable housing levels, and referenced a new package of support for housebuilding in London, including a new planning route to incentivise build out.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
Planning practice guidance includes clear information on what should be included within IFSs. Further guidance is available on the PAS website. Initial PAS guidance was published in 2020, and this was updated in 2023 to reflect matters identified through the first two years of IFS reporting. An IFS template is included within the guidance which is intended to help authorities towards consistent and clear IFS reporting for the benefit of residents and developers. The Government will consider whether a further update is required. In terms of including published IFSs interactively in a national CIL map, the Government considers it more appropriate for the IFS to be obtained through authority websites, as an authority is able to update its IFS at any time. However, as set out in our response to the recent Public Accounts Committee report on ‘Improving local areas through developer funding’ we are considering how to make best use of data in published IFSs to support understanding on how the developer contributions system is working. The Chief Planner has also written to all LPAs to remind them of the statutory duty to publish an IFS at least annually.
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