Following examination hearings in July, examiner Philip Staddon issued his report (10-page / 84 KB PDF) on 18 August. He said that the DCS provided an appropriate basis for the collection of CIL in the area and that "the evidence demonstrates that the overall development of the area, as set out in the [Council's] core strategy, will not be put at risk if the proposed CIL charges are applied".
Staddon concluded that the Council's core strategy provided "a recent and robust development plan framework for sustainable growth in the borough" and that the background economic evidence used by the Council in preparing the DCS was "reasonable, robust, proportionate and appropriate".
The DCS had identified three Major Development Areas (MDAs), at Watford Junction, Watford Health Campus and Ascot Road, where a zero rate would be applied for all developments.
Outside the MDAs, a rate of £120 per square metre was proposed for residential developments, hotels and specialist accommodation for the elderly and disabled. A rate of £55 per sq m was proposed for retail developments within a defined Primary Shopping Area (PSA), with a £120 per sq m levy proposed outside the PSA.
The examiner recommended the DCS for approval subject to its modification in accordance with a statement of modifications (13-page / 374 KB PDF) produced by the Council in April. The modifications include minor changes to the wording of the DCS for clarity and an updated explanation of how CIL will be calculated.
The Council said that it aimed to adopt CIL in March or April 2015.
