Council helping to support developers during coronavirus outbreak
Wakefield Council is supporting developers during the
coronavirus outbreak by taking a more flexible approach to payments of the
Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
The CIL is a payment made by
developers of housing and large retail projects which is put back into the
local community to support infrastructure including roads, transport, medical
and sport facilities and open spaces.
The development industry has been significantly impacted by
the coronavirus outbreak and the Council will address each CIL instalment due
on a case-by-case basis, allowing more time for payments to be made and
extending debt recovery cases to six months.
By adopting a flexible approach to the collection of CIL,
the Council hopes to assist the industry and to help aid its recovery which
will benefit the local economy in the long-term.
Cllr Darren Byford, Wakefield Council’s Cabinet Member for
Economic Growth and Regeneration, said: “In light of the current circumstances,
we feel it is important to support the development industry in any way we can.
“We hope this small gesture will relieve any further
pressures and help to kick-start our local economy when we start to get back to
some form of normality.
“The CIL money will still be generated, just over a longer
period of time, and will still be spent on some wonderful projects across our
district.”
Developers are advised to contact the Council to discuss
their payments at CIL@wakefield.gov.uk