Cranbrook gets special treatment for Community Infrastructure Levy

Cranbrook will not only get the lowest Community Infrastructure Levy, it will also get more Section 106 money (which stays in the area) rather than CIL which can be spent anywhere.  From the consultation document:

…..A conclusion from this work and the overall testing process isthat differential rates have been set in different parts of the district. This is in line with the new emerging Affordable Housing policy differential areas.

 

…..Assessment show sthat the towns of Axminster, Exmouth, Honiton, Ottery St Mary and Seaton have a very different viability characteristic to those of Sidmouth, Budleigh Salterton and other coastal and rural areas. The viability study has clearly shown that there should be 2 broad charging zones with differential rates in East Devon:

 

 The lower value towns

Axminster, Exmouth, Honiton, Ottery St Mary and Seaton; Where the viability evidence indicates a charging rate of £80 per SqM would be appropriate and

 

 The higher value areas of Sidmouth, Coastal and Rural East Devon (to also include Budleigh Salterton) where the viability evidence indicates a charging rate of £125 per SqM would be appropriate;

 

The edge of Exeter also comes out as a lower value area though the only emerging Local Plan allocated area that is likely to be CIL liable are the Cranbrook expansion sites (over major housing sites on the edge of Exeter in east Devon that are likely to get permission ahead of introduction of CIL). A detailed assessment has been applied through the CIL work to the allocated expansion areas at Cranbrook. Through discussions with the New Community Partners it became evident that it would be desirable, on a strategic scheme of the size of Cranbrook and with a single consortium undertaking coordinated development,to retain considerable emphasis on 106 contributions to pay for infrastructure with a lower emphasis attached to CIL. The unique manner in which Cranbrook is being developed points towards efficiency benefits of securing many items of infrastructure directly through 106 agreements and often through contracts that will be directly let by the consortium. It is stressed that this arrangement should not mean that at Cranbrook total developer costs should differ from other lower value areas but it does not mean that 106 contributions will be higher.

So, modern Cranbrook, with its new build houses, new school and the £20m grant it has just received, within commuting distance of Exeter, and with its own railway station coming, will keep pretty much ALL its own money for all its own infrastructure whereas Sidmouth will be charged the most CIL.

It might keep Sidmouth more “select” with its higher cost housing but it may also mean that more of the money generated in Sidmouth will go to the rest of the district and almost none of the money generated at Cranbrook will go anywhere other than Cranbrook.