Community Infrastructure Levy
CIL is the most commonly miscalculated development cost.
Check whether the council charges CIL
Wrong floorspace basis. Wrong zone. Indexation ignored. Exemptions missed. Because the inputs are so easy to get wrong, we do not calculate it.
PlanSureAI identifies whether an authority charges CIL. We do not calculate the amount. The developer must confirm any liability with the relevant council.
Check whether CIL applies
Enter a postcode to see whether the council charges CIL. The amount is not calculated: confirm it with the council.
Run a postcode checkWhat is the Community Infrastructure Levy?
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a charge on new development in England and Wales, levied by local planning authorities under the Planning Act 2008. It is calculated per square metre of net additional floorspace created and is used to fund local infrastructure — roads, schools, parks, and community facilities.
Unlike Section 106 planning obligations — which are individually negotiated between developer and local authority — CIL is a standardised, non-negotiable charge based on a published charging schedule. The rate varies by development type, by zone within an authority, and by authority. Not every authority has adopted CIL; some still rely entirely on S106 for infrastructure contributions.
CIL is payable on commencement of development. Failure to comply with CIL payment requirements — including late payment or failure to claim available exemptions correctly — triggers surcharges and can result in stop notices.
CIL vs S106 — not the same thing
Both CIL and S106 are costs associated with planning permission. Both belong in the viability model. They work differently and the distinction matters for lenders.
CIL
- Standardised — rate set in published charging schedule
- Non-negotiable — applies automatically to qualifying development
- Calculated on net additional floorspace × applicable rate
- Paid in instalments — commencement and occupation triggers
- Indexed annually — rate at payment differs from rate at consent
- Exemptions must be formally claimed before commencement
Section 106
- Negotiated — agreed between developer and LPA as a condition of consent
- Site-specific — obligations vary by scheme and authority
- Can include affordable housing, highways, ecology, education
- Trigger points vary — commencement, occupation thresholds, completion
- Legal agreement — must be executed before planning permission is granted
- Indexed or fixed — depends on what the S106 agreement specifies
How CIL goes wrong in development appraisals
CIL errors are not rare. They appear in appraisals prepared by experienced developers and in development finance packs prepared by experienced brokers. Each of the following can materially affect the lender's assessment of deal viability.
- Gross floorspace used instead of net additional floorspace — the most common error; inflates liability on schemes with existing buildings
- Wrong charging zone — CIL rates vary by zone within a single authority; applying the wrong rate invalidates the entire appraisal
- Exemptions not claimed — self-build, affordable housing units, and charitable use all carry full or partial CIL relief; missing them overstates the liability
- Indexation not applied — CIL rates are indexed annually to the BCIS All-in Tender Price Index; a rate from the charging schedule is not necessarily the rate payable at commencement
- Instalment timing ignored — CIL is paid in instalments triggered at commencement and on occupation; the cash timing affects the finance model, not just the total
- CIL omitted entirely — common on small sites where the assumption is that CIL will be nil; it is not always nil, and the assumption is never evidenced
What PlanSureAI shows about CIL
Enter a postcode. PlanSureAI identifies the local authority and shows whether it charges CIL. It does not calculate the amount.
Charging status
Whether the council charges CIL, from the national register and our own checks. Where we have not checked a council, the pack says so: "CIL charging status not checked."
Charging schedule
Each charging authority publishes its charging schedule. Read the rates and zones at source, and confirm the liability with the council.
Amount not calculated
PlanSureAI does not calculate a CIL amount. It depends on chargeable floorspace, existing lawful use, zone, indexation and reliefs, which only the council can confirm.
Reliefs and exemptions
Self-build, social housing and charitable relief are not automatic: they must be claimed and, where required, granted before commencement. We do not assess eligibility.
Instalments
CIL is usually payable from commencement, sometimes in instalments under the council's policy. Confirm the timing with the council for the finance model.
Indexation
Charging-schedule rates are indexed. The rate in the schedule is not necessarily the rate payable, which is one more reason the amount comes from the council.
A pack does not show a CIL amount. Where the council charges CIL, the pack says so and marks the planning-obligations total as incomplete until the amount is confirmed with the council, so it is never read as a confirmed cost.
CIL in the evidence pack for broker review — §4, not an appendix
Most development finance packs either omit CIL entirely or mention it in a footnote without quantifying it. PlanSureAI assembles CIL as part of §4 — the regulatory and infrastructure costs section — alongside S106 obligations, FHBS compliance status, and Building Safety Levy applicability.
The lender sees: the applicable rate, the charging zone, the net floorspace basis, the total liability, the instalment schedule, and whether any exemptions apply. CIL is a line in the cost stack — not a discussion to have after the pack is submitted.
Check whether CIL applies to your next site
Enter a postcode. PlanSureAI identifies the local authority and shows whether it charges CIL, alongside planning evidence and S106. The CIL amount is not calculated: confirm it with the council.