Engagement with Parliament on the Localism Bill continued in July as amendments put forward by the ICE were tabled and debated in the House of Lords.
ICE has focused on proposals to reform the scope of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and the ICE Localism Expert Panel has drafted amendments aimed at protecting what is an important source of funding for local infrastructure projects.
Although only introduced in 2010 via the 2008 Planning Act, the Levy has already been the focus of significant revision in the Localism Bill. ICE is concerned that some of the Bill's changes, particularly in the context of major reductions in local authorities' capital budgets, will limit the Levy’s effectiveness in its principal objective - to provide important new infrastructure, including roads, schools, hospitals and flood defences.
Geoff French, Chair of the Localism Expert Panel also wrote to Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to raise concerns after the Government said it would reflect on allowing the use of the Levy on matters other than infrastructure. ICE’s media team has also continued to raise the profile of the debate through trade publications to gain further traction for its case.
“ICE estimates that the CIL income by 2016 will be around £1 billion a year, so we are not talking about peanuts, we are talking about very large sums indeed. We have to get it right.” - Lord Jenkin of Roding, Committee Stage debate on Localism Bill
Now the Committee Stage is completed, the Bill proceeds to Report Stage in the House of Lords. As a result of the work of the Localism Panel the Government has since agreed to meet with ICE to discuss the issues and concerns raised in the amendments in more detail.