Council to pay back homeowners following incorrect Community Infrastructure Levy charges
West Berkshire Council has started issuing payments to homeowners who had become liable for Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments due to mistakes made when completing “overly confusing” paperwork.
The review scheme, introduced by the council earlier this year, allows residents to put forward their case if they believed they were unfairly charged the levy.
The first seven reviews have now been completed, with the council agreeing that six people were charged when, had the paperwork been completed correctly, they would otherwise have been exempt from paying.
The council revealed that the homeowners will be receiving “discretionary payments” between £12,000 and £40,000.
The CIL allows local authorities in England and Wales to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area, to fund local infrastructure.
Speaking to the BBC, developer Joe Atkinson from Burghfield Common said West Berkshire Council had a reputation of being “very ruthless” over the charge.
Explaining the issue when changes to the Community Infrastructure Levy process were announced in March, Council Leader Jeff Brooks said: "This has been a difficult and stressful time for those residents who have found themselves literally paying the price for mistakes on the paperwork. The complex forms, provided by the Government, are overly confusing and easy to get wrong. Coupled with there being no internal appeals process householders were left with no opportunity to address mistakes made and complete the paperwork correctly.
“To correct this, we are introducing new processes to allow householders to apply to have charges reviewed where they mistakes were made or they think they have been unfairly assessed.”
Under the scheme, any applicant who is unsuccessful at review will have the opportunity to appeal the decision and “present their case in person to a panel of councillors for further consideration”, the council revealed.
Lottie Winson
