Planning Bill

moved Amendment No. 435B: 435B: Clause 198, page 122, line 38, leave out ““(CIL)”” and insert ““for Local Investment (CILLI)”” The noble Earl said: The amendment seeks to leave out the word ““(CIL)”” and to insert ““for Local Investment”” so that it becomes the community infrastructure levy for local investment. It is apparent that while one needs to maintain a flexible approach for local infrastructure needs, protections are required to ensure that moneys collected through CIL do not fund infrastructure in parts of a council area that bear no relation to the general area in which the development occurs. One way of dealing with that is to require a nexus between the development being levied and where the infrastructure is provided. That would ensure that any infrastructure provided would be in proximity to the development occurring. That is essential if the benefits from the infrastructure are at least balanced against the costs of the levy. Having got to that stage, I then thought: ““How else can I get this across to the Minister?””. She then came riding to the rescue. In the second paragraph of her letter to us of 14 October, she says: "““There is, I believe, a consensus that an instrument of this sort represents the future for developer contributions towards local infrastructure, building on the existing system of planning obligations. CIL aims to provide certainty and transparency for developers and communities alike””." She goes into further details in her attachment to the letter. Referring to the charging authorities in Clause 199, she says: "““This makes clear that CIL is a local levy for use by local authorities””." My amendment is to help the Minister put into the Bill what she wants: a local levy for local investment. Amendment No. 435B would leave out ““CIL”” and insert, ““for Local Investment (CILLI)””. I beg to move.