No ‘planning panacea’ through Section 106 and CIL abolition: Matthew Evans speaks to Property Week

Earlier this month, the government announced its intention to replace Section 106 planning obligations and the tariff-based Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) with a new, uniform infrastructure levy. Whilst the proposed change is expected to simplify the system, is a uniform levy really the answer?

Planning Counsel Matthew Evans says that the government’s announcement has already started to cause disruption, “many local authorities have paused CIL reviews on the basis that it is pointless to bring forward plans that will possibly change in a few years”. He believes there are difficulties associated with a one-size fits all levy, not least because one of the ideas behind the initial introduction of CIL was that “it was going to do everything that the new levy will”, which he says, didn’t work out because ”fundamentally, there are complicated elements that still need these bespoke agreements, one of which is affordable housing”.

Evans stresses the need for greater detail on the government’s proposals (and soon) before development in some areas could either slow or stop altogether.

This article was first published in Property Week on 21 April 2022 and is available to read here, behind the paywall.