The Draft Charging Schedule (6-page / 1.3MB PDF) sets a charge for various different types of development including residential, commercial, hotels, retail and student accommodation. The schedule also sets differential rates for residential development by zone, with the 'Inner Zone' of the city facing a charge of £70 per square metre and the 'Outer Zone' being levied at £50 per sq m.
The proposal to set differential rates for residential development had been criticised by the House Builder Consortium Group (HBCG) in representations that were made on the Draft Charging Schedule.
"We remain extremely concerned that the imposition of the proposed CIL charges within Bristol are not supported by robust viability evidence and that the imposition of additional costs on development within the context of current market conditions, is not appropriate" said the HBCG in its representations.
The Planning Inspector disagreed with the representations of the HBCG and in his report stated that "it is reasonable to conclude that the use of Inner and Outer Zones achieves a sensible and suitable distinction solely based on viability between the two new housing levy rates".
"The two local levy rates for new housing are justified by the available evidence and strike an appropriate balance between helping to fund new infrastructure and their effect on the economic viability of residential development across the city," the report said.
The report has recommended that the Draft Charging Schedule be approved and that the CIL "will make a material contribution to funding new infrastructure across the city without a serious risk to the economic viability of new built development locally".
Following the outcome of the examination the Council has stated that it anticipates the adoption of the CIL charging schedule by the full Council on 4 September with 1 January 2013 being the anticipated date that the Council will start charging CIL.
