The Council has set out five residential charging areas across the Borough with proposed rates ranging from £40 per square metre to £120 per sq m.
Charging Area 1, which covers Shortstown (west), Cotton End and Elstow, has the lowest proposed CIL rate of £40 per sq m. Charging Area 2 covers South Bedford, Kempston, Shortstown (east) and Stewartby and has a proposed rate of £55 per sq m. Charging Area 3 covers the majority of the Borough, including Oakley, Thurleigh and Wymington, and has a proposed rate of £100 per sq m.
The highest proposed rate, of £125 per sq m, will apply to Charging Area 4, which covers North Bedford and Biddenham. The proposed rate for Charging Area 5 is £120 per sq m and this will apply in Bletsoe, Bolnhurst & Keysoe, Colmworth, Felmersham & Radwell, Harrold, Knotting & Souldrop, Little Staughton, Odell, Pavenham, Podington & Hinwick, Sharnbrook, and Staploe & Duloe.
For convenience based superstores and supermarkets and retail warehouses over 280 square metres, the Council proposes a Borough-wide CIL rate of £120 per sq m. A proposed zero rate levy will apply to all other developments.
All the rates set out in the DCS remain unchanged from the rates proposed in the Council's preliminary draft charging schedule, which it consulted on earlier in the year.
The consultation will be open until 30 May. The Council said it hopes to be able to submit the DCS for examination this summer and to have the charging schedule in place by April 2014.
