Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for North and Central areas of Buckinghamshire – next steps - Your Voice Bucks

Overview

Following a public consultation on the draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for the North and Central areas of Buckinghamshire which took place from 14 April to 24 May 2026, we carefully reviewed the representations and reported the findings to the Council's Growth, Infrastructure & Housing Select Committee on 23 September 2026, which made several recommendations.

Cabinet considered the representations received and the Select Committee recommendations, along with a modified draft Charging Schedule that took account of comments received.

On 14 October 2026, Buckinghamshire Council's Cabinet approved the modified Draft Charging Schedule to proceed to Public Examination.

What is a CIL? What is a CIL?

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a levy that local authorities (referred to as ‘charging authorities’) in England and Wales can choose to charge on new developments in their area. It is calculated per square metre of gross internal area in accordance with national regulations and the local CIL Charging Schedule. The CIL rates in the Charging Schedule can vary, for example by type of development or location.

CIL is an important source of developer contributions for a local authority to fund the provision, improvement, replacement, operation or maintenance of infrastructure that supports the development of its area.

A proportion of CIL receipts is passed to Town and Parish Councils, (15% rising to 25% where a Neighbourhood Plan is in place). These must be spent on infrastructure or on other measures that address the demands that development places on the local area.

The public examination process for a CIL Charging Schedule The public examination process for a CIL Charging Schedule

Before the charging authority can adopt a CIL it must undertake public consultation and submit the Charging Schedule and its evidence base for a public examination by an appropriately qualified and independent person.

The purpose of the CIL examination is to allow an independent examiner to determine whether the proposed Charging Schedule complies with the legal requirements and is supported by appropriate evidence.

In advance of the examination, the Council must act in accordance with the CIL regulations, including publishing information in the form of statutory notices.

The government has also published guidance on public examinations relating to CIL.

Intelligent Plans and Examination Ltd (IPE), an independent consultancy, has been appointed to conduct the public examination of the modified draft Charging Schedule, and Kevin Ward BA (Hons) MRTPI, a member of the IPE team, has been selected to be the examiner. Ian Kemp of Local Plan Services has been engaged as the Independent Programme Officer.

As part of the public examination, organisations and individuals can make requests to be heard by the examiner at the public hearing due to start on 28 January 2027.

If you wish to request to be heard by the examiner regarding the Statement of Modifications on the modified draft Charging Schedule, please email CILNorthConsultation@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. You must include details of the modifications (by reference to the statement of modifications) on which you have requested to be heard. Please note that any new requests to be heard must be in response to the modifications only.

The public notice period for requests to the examiner to be heard regarding the modifications closes at 11.59pm on 24 November 2026.

We cannot accept requests to be heard after the notice period has closed

The public examination will start on 28 January 2027. If you are called to attend, you will receive details via the email address you have provided.

Documents and links relating to the public examination

Details of the Charging Schedule being submitted, the examination, and how to engage in the process are set out in these formal documents:

The documents that informed the decision by Cabinet to submit the modified draft Charging Schedule for public examination were as follows:

The following documents formed the basis of the public consultation on the draft Charging Schedule that took place between 14 April and 24 May 2026.

1. Statement of Representations Procedure (PDF, 379KB)
2. Charging Schedule and Map (PDF, 377KB)
3. Draft Instalment Policy BC all areas (PDF, 258KB)
4. Charging zone map (PDF, 1.4MB). An Interactive map of the CIL charging zones is now also available.

Viability evidence

5. Dixon Searle Partnership (DSP) CIL Report (PDF, 1.7MB)
6. DSP Appendix 1 (PDF, 1.1MB)
7. DSP Appendix 2 (PDF, 1.8MB)
8. DSP Appendix 3 (PDF, 1.6MB)
9. DSP Appendix 4 (PDF, 1,7MB)
10. DSP Appendix 5 (PDF, 2.6MB)

Infrastructure evidence

11. Infrastructure Funding Statement (full) (PDF, 409KB)
12. Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) executive summary (PDF, 264KB)
13. IFS Appendix 1 (PDF, 255KB)
14. IFS Appendix 2 (PDF, 240KB)
15. IFS Appendix 3 (PDF, 221KB)
16. IFS Appendix 4 (PDF, 223KB)
17. IFS Appendix 5 (PDF, 101KB)

Background documents

18. 2017 Infrastructure Delivery Plan (PDF, 939KB)
19. 2017 Infrastructure Delivery Plan appendix (PDF, 624KB)

Full results of the public consultation (redacted)

The public notice period closes at 11.59 pm on 24 November 2026.

Requests to be heard by the examiner on modifications relating to the draft Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule should be made to CILNorthConsultation@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
and must include details of the modifications (by reference to the statement of modifications) on which the person wishes to be heard.
Requests to be heard cannot be accepted once the public notice period closes.

Areas

Aylesbury Community Board
East Bucks Community Board
North Bucks Community Board
West Bucks Community Board

Interests

Communities
Planning

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging Schedule for North and Central areas of Buckinghamshire – next steps