Following a hearing in January, the examiner issued his report on the charging schedule earlier this month.
The Council had proposed setting a district-wide rate of £80 per square metre for residential developments; a rate of £200 per sq m for superstore and supermarket developments of 1,000 sq m or more and a nil rate levy for retail developments below 1,000 sq m.
The examiner said he considered the Council's viability assessment, which had recommended the £80 per sq m residential rate, to have provided "credible evidence to inform the charging schedule". He noted that there would be additional costs relating to residual Section 106 obligations which would needed to be taken into account.
The examiner also said the viability assessment had provided credible evidence to inform the charging schedule in relation to retail for the specific types and sizes of store that it modelled.
However, he said that it provided insufficient evidence to justify the 1,000 sq m threshold on viability grounds alone. The examiner therefore recommended that the £200 per sq m rate for supermarket and superstores of 1,000 sq m or more should be deleted and all retail developments should be subject to a nil rate levy.
The Council said in a statement that the charging schedule will be considered for adoption at cabinet and full council meetings next month, to come into force in April 2015.
