The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a planning charge designed to help us to deliver infrastructure (such as schools, transport links, open spaces, recreational or waste facilities) to serve the residents and users of developments in our area.
CIL is payable on new developments, including housing, student accommodation, supermarkets and hotels. Development which creates additional floor space of 100 square metres or more, or creates a new dwelling of any size, will be liable for CIL. This includes development permitted by 'general consent', or permitted development (PD).
Your responsibilities
It is vital to check the most up-to-date guidance on CIL before carrying out your project. You or your planning agent should refer to our CIL Developers' Guide and GOV.UK Planning Practice Guidance to find out the information which is pertinent to your scheme. Please note we do not give free CIL advice if you are pre-commencement, because the information you need is available online in these guides.
You must complete CIL forms at planning application stage, and upon commencement, and you will receive both a CIL Liability Notice and CIL Demand Notice from us. It is very important that you read these closely and follow the instructions.
Find out if CIL applies to your development
View CIL charging zones on a map
You can check which CIL charging zone your development site falls within, using our interactive maps. Click on any zone to view the CIL rate that will be payable.
- Bath Western Riverside
- Hotel Development
- Residential (View the CIL Charging Schedule for the five residential zones which have a different rate)
- Retail Development
Check if you can get an exemption, or a discount on your bill
There are a number of different circumstances where you may be eligible to get an exemption from CIL (for example, self-build dwellings, or social housing schemes). You can find out more about these, and find the relevant forms to apply for a CIL exemption, on the Planning Portal. We also have a policy on discretionary exceptional circumstances relief .
Find out what you'll need to pay
We assess whether CIL is payable, based on the location, size and type of your proposed development.
Get pre-application advice
It is your responsibility to find out the CIL information pertinent to your scheme. If you would like informal written advice from us before the commencement of your scheme, you can contact our Pre-Planning Application Advice Service. You will need to complete a pre-application advice request form and pay in advance. CIL advice is included in Service Level 1. This service covers the following areas:
- Estimating how much CIL you may pay (from your accurate measurements of your proposed development)
- What exemptions may be relevant to your scheme
- Advice on process, procedure and your responsibilities for CIL
Please note we cannot provide legal advice on CIL regulations. If you require any further advice besides our best-informed views, we recommend you seek independent legal or other specialist advice.
Get an estimate of your bill
Our CIL Charging Schedule sets out the CIL rates for different types of developments, and our CIL calculator gives you an opportunity to get an estimated figure, based on details of your development. Use them to help you to plan the costs of your development.
You will only get the exact figure which is payable when we send you a CIL liability notice. All rates in our CIL Charging Schedule and CIL calculator tool will be subject to an annual index, based on the RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) CIL index. For the local rates, please refer to the B&NES Annual CIL Rates Summary.
Before you apply
Check the regulations
Ensure you read and understand the GOV.UK Planning Practice guidance and our CIL Developers' Guide.
Complete the correct forms
The complete list of CIL application forms is available on the Planning Portal. Please download the relevant form for your development. If your development has received general consent without the need for a planning application (under Permitted Development rights or prior notification, for example), you must submit a Notice of Chargeable Development to inform us.
Find out when and how you'll need to pay
Payment terms for CIL will vary, depending on the amount of your bill, as follows:
- If your bill is less than £25,000, the total payment is due within 60 days of starting work on the development.
- If your bill is £25,000 or above, you can split your payment into three instalments over an 18-month period, payable at 60 days, 12 months and 18 months from starting work
- It may also be possible to make an agreement to pay for your CIL bill via providing payment in kind (supplying land or infrastructure to us at your own expense), as set out in our Payment in Kind Policy You must make this agreement before starting work on your development.
Pay your Community Infrastructure Levy bill
Further information and guidance
How we process and apply CIL
How we spend CIL
Contact us
If you have a query about a CIL Notice you have received from us, and the issue is not covered in the CIL Developers' Guide and GOV.UK Planning Practice guidance, please email us at cil@bathnes.gov.uk. We aim respond in 20 working days. This service is not for pre-commencement queries.
If you would like support with planning your development proposal and ensuring that you submit the correct information with your planning application, we recommend using our Pre-Planning Application Advice Service.