It seems that other pots of money are being used, but CIL is just accumulating and not delivering. Part of the remit of this fund is that it must be used to 'support development', but given we are already seeing major projects going ahead across the borough, this should already be returning value to residents for Schools, Doctors Surgeries, Hospitals, Roads and Transport and yet it is not. This has to change.
Spelthorne Liberal Democrats are also pressing the Council over the Infrastructure Delivery Plan, a document that goes along with the Local Plan for any development that is proposed to take place over the next 15 years. Locally, we believe that much of this infrastructure is delivered before the building of additional housing to ensure we do not create further backlogs and problems down the line.
Cllr Tom Fidler has offered his services in making changes if required to support the use of CIL appropriately. He has asked for this to be discussed at the Joint Committee to improve the process, and is also discussing what can be done within Spelthorne to ensure responsible spending of this fund and an accountable process.
Are you involved in delivering services in the Borough that have explored the use of CIL? Talk to us about your experiences and let us see what changes we need to make.