Will the 7 Parish Councils who received £130,000 of CIL money allow residents to have input into how it’s spent?

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a planning charge, introduced by the Planning Act 2008, as a tool for local authorities in England and Wales to help deliver ‘infrastructure‘ to support the development of their area. It is “to support development by funding infrastructure that the council, local communities and neighbourhoods want.” It came into force on 6 April 2010 through the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended)

Folkestone & Hythe District Council are a CIL charging authority. They are empowered, but not required, to levy on most types of new development or extensions to buildings in their areas. These are the locations where the Council do not require a levy.

Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development has a £0 CIL rating

Shorncliffe Garrison – Taylor Wimpey development has a £0 CIL rating

New Romney Masterplan – has a £0 Cil rating

Sellindge –  Taylor Wimpey, Gladman, Quinn & Otterpool – has a £0 CIL rating.

CIL is levied on new floor area above a certain size, to be paid primarily by owners or developers of land.

The CIL Regulations places a responsibility on the District Council to pass a ‘meaningful proportion’ of CIL receipts to Parish/Town Councils twice a year (April 1 & Sept 30). The meaningful proportion should be 25% of CIL receipts where a Neighbourhood Plan is in place, such as in St Mary’s in the Marsh Parish Council, and 15% in all the other 29 parishes in the district (capped at £100 per dwelling). The local meaningful proportion does not have to be spent purely on infrastructure. It can for example be spent on  new or safer road schemes, flood defences, park improvements, health and social care facilities, park, green spaces and leisure centres.

Each parish council has been required since April 2019, under Regulation 62A of the CIL Regulations, to publish on their website the amount of CIL received and spent within the area together with a summary of the projects on which CIL was spent.  [A town council is a parish council. The only difference of note is Town Council’s have Mayors]

Each of the 30 Parish Councils in our district are responsible for spending CIL funds within 5 years of receipt or run the risk of the District Council recovering the charge.  If  the Parish Council does not wish to receive some or all of its CIL funding, they must write to the District Council informing them but at any time they can resume their right to receive funding by writing again.

The money Folkestone Town Council’s has received in CIL money is set out on their website. 

FTC invoiced the District Council and had by the 30 Sept, 2021, received £33,859.19. A summary of the projects it has been spent on will be prepared and published once agreed. Did FTC engage and participate with its residents to decided what infrastructre the money was spent on?

Will the other six councils who’ve received money engage with the parish residents and the communities they belong to?

Dymchurch Parish who received £701.78, as of March 31, 2021.

Elmstead Parish who received £14,100, as of March 31, 2021.

Hawkinge Town who received £8,489.70, as of Sept 30, 2021.

Hythe Town Council who have £56,638.50 as of 1 April, 2022.

New Romney Town who received £12,282.47, as of March 21, 2021.

St Mary in the Marsh Parish who received £2,933.75, as of March 31, 2021

Total = £129,005.09

The details of any CIL returned to the District Council and any balances brought forward from previous years, should occur no later than the 31st December, following the reporting year (1st April to 31st March).

Yes these six Parish Councils report on these matters, in their agendas and minutes, but do not openly publish the data, like FTC, or what it is to be spent on, when agreed, on their website. After the money is “to support development by funding infrastructure that the parish council, local communities and neighbourhoods want.”  It has been a requirement since April 1, 2019. Sunlight is a good disinfectant.

We’d also ask if these Parish Council who recived CIL money to date, will engage and participate with their communities to allow them to have meaningful input on what the CIL money will be spent in their communities. If your a resident in a parish which has received CIL money you could always contact one of your local Cllrs and ask.

Dymchurch Parish Councillors

Elmstead Parish Councillors

Folkestone Town Councillors

Hawkinge Town Councillors

Hythe Town Councillors

New Romney Town Councillors

St Mary’s in the Parsh Parish Councillors

The Shepway Vox Team

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