MPS DEMAND URGENT ACTION ON UNFAIR CIL CHARGES HITTING HOMEOWNERS
Jeremy Hunt MP, Member of Parliament for Godalming and Ash, and Gregory Stafford MP, Member of Parliament for Farnham and Bordon, have called on Housing Secretary Angela Rayner to urgently investigate current legislation around the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) after multiple homeowners were hit with devastating, unexpected financial demands.
CIL is meant to ensure developers contribute to infrastructure, but exemptions exist for self-builders, annexes, and small extensions. However, in Waverley, a growing number of residents have faced life-changing bills due to incorrect paperwork, confusion over retrospective applications, and no legal right to appeal works have started.
Local Conservatives have exposed seven cases of homeowners blindsided by CIL demands ranging from £45,000 to £235,000. In one instance, Mr. and Mrs. Dally of Godalming were hit with a £70,000 charge in 2020, forcing 65-year-old Mr. Dally to increase his mortgage payments by £400 a month until he turns 70. He now fears he will have to sell his home to pay the debt.
A Conservative-led motion at Waverley Borough Council has triggered a discretionary review for those affected, but MPs insist the problem demands national action.
Hunt said: “This unintended consequence of CIL legislation has been a completely traumatising experience for Waverley residents hit with these huge levies, seemingly from nowhere. Those impacted now have a route to getting the money repaid – but they should not have had to fight for five years in some cases to be listened to.”
Farnham and Bordon MP Gregory Stafford added: “The enforcement of this charge in Waverley has been devastating. One of my constituents is unable to pay and is accruing enormous interest on a debt they should be exempt from. While there is now cross-party support locally to fix this, I will keep standing up for residents and urging Labour to act nationally.”
This issue extends beyond Waverley. West Berkshire Council recently identified similar problems, leading to 18 cases being addressed and £200,000 set for repayment. MPs fear this is part of a wider national failing, with cases also emerging in Horsham and Bracknell Forest.
Cllr Jane Austin, Leader of the Conservative Group at Waverley, said: "More cases are coming to light - and we are talking about huge sums. We’ve forced the council to act at the local level, but if national legislation is failing homeowners, it must be reviewed."
Hunt and Stafford are now demanding urgent government intervention to ensure CIL does not unfairly penalise homeowners. They have also pressed Waverley Borough Council to follow West Berkshire’s lead in rectifying these errors immediately.