Developer contribution - Highland Councils equivalent of CIL??

[acormack]

Hi everyone,

 

Our kit builder mentioned we have a 'developers contribution' to pay before the council will give us our planning permission, never heard of it before but it's what the councilors agreed to in 2018 supposedly. I assume it's their equivalent to the CIL that I think is applicable in England, long story short that's another £796 paid to the council.... On top of the £3.5K for the building warrant.

 

Supposedly this contribution is going towards Secondary Education in the region, would much rather if they spent it on the pot holes in our roads, they are falling to bits up here - look up 'Caithness pot holes' on Goggle to see the state of things in the far north! 

Edited November 27, 2021 by acormack

[Faz]

There is a CIL exemption for selfbuilders so this seems like a tartan tax mate. Another 'nothing to see here' north of the boarder nonsense it seems.

 

However, the little oligarchy Councils down south aren't much better - I went for a Permitted Development 88 unit scheme in Bromley that got called in by a Councillor in the face of Officer recommendation and went to Committee - I just recall one c*nt Councillor saying 'but where is OUR money!' - suffice to say it was refused and granted on appeal.

 

You just have to take a view on the 'bribe' vs costs of appeal and delay.  £800 is the kind of number you just have to take a view on in the scheme of things.

[Stones]

Perth & Kinross were (may still) be doing the same. In areas where school provision was stretched and new capacity required, they would very kindly demand around £8K for a single house development. If you didn't have the cash, you had to sign a bond. If you didn't, no planning permission. The justification for all this was one ward where they said there were no capacity issues and consequently were not applying the charge in that area.

 

Interestingly, when our local school subsequently tried to tap into this growing fund for some work at the local primary school they were told that they could not access it and there was no requirement for the money to be spent on the local schooling provision, even though that was why they extorted it in the first place. 

 

They really should just call it what it is, a planning gain tax.

[ProDave]

First time I have heard of Highland council doing this.  At least it was a small sum.  CIL in England can be many tens of thousands, if you don't apply for the exemption.

 

Pot holes not much better here, though recently they have been doing a very cheap repair job that won't  last long.

[acormack]

The builders up here are moaning about the 'developers contribution' ProDave, seems it has indeed been going since 2018 I'm afraid. Another tax grab as you say Stones although I had no idea the CIL was so large down south, what a nightmare!

[Barryscotland]

On 28/11/2021 at 09:26, Stones said:

Perth & Kinross were (may still) be doing the same. In areas where school provision was stretched and new capacity required, they would very kindly demand around £8K for a single house development. If you didn't have the cash, you had to sign a bond. If you didn't, no planning permission.

 

We had zero fees for roads or schools from PKC for our Planning last year, maybe just lucky though as another self builder we spoke to had to  pay 6k, he was in the catchment area for 3 schools 1 at capacity and other 2 not, guess which one they used to work out what he was due.