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