Local Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

What is the Local Community Infrastructure Levy?

The Local Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a levy raised on development schemes (new buildings such as housing, hotels or shops). We use this money to fund local infrastructure projects. This way, developments can benefit the local community and developers can give back to the community - especially to those impacted by the building works (such as neighbours who had to put up with noise or temporary road closures).

How we decide where to spend Local Community Infrastructure Levy funds

We are currently thinking about the best way to find out about local projects and to spend the local CIL. We will share more information about the funding process later this year.

Where we have spent Local Community Infrastructure Levy funds in the past

We raised roughly £23m in local CIL between 2015 and 2020. Almost £6m of this money was designated as local CIL and became available to spend on community projects. We invited the public to submit ideas for how to spend this money between March and June 2020. You put forward nearly 1,000 ideas, and 66 were chosen for funding by the council’s Cabinet. You can look at the December 2020 Cabinet report and January 2021 Cabinet report for details about these projects. To see some of the other proposals suggested by the public in 2020, visit our CIL website.

Surrey Docks Farm is one project that benefited from CIL. The farm used this money on a housing development nearby at Odessa Street to refurbish their community building, so that it could be used by the local community for meetings, workshops and classes.

Watch the launch video for the 2020 CIL programme to find out more about CIL and how Surrey Docks Farm used its CIL funding.

Page last updated: 30 July 2024