Developers to pay extra cash to communities (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Developers to pay extra cash to communities in Wiltshire
12:31pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News
A NEW levy will be introduced by Wiltshire Council next year requiring developers to contribute a fee towards infrastructure improvements.
Unlike the existing section 106 agreements, which are optional and require developers to fund road or school improvements, or similar schemes, funds raised by the levy will not have to be spent on site, and can be used for more general projects.
The council is launching a consultation next month to assess people’s views on the scheme, which is expected to raise £4m a year for the county.
The council’s cabinet member for economic development, Fleur de Rhe-Philipe, said: “We believe we are proposing a rate which strikes the right balance between encouraging development and raising sufficient funds to provide the infrastructure that Wiltshire will need.”
Proposed charges are £70 a square metre for residential developments, hotels and student housing, and £175 a square metres for supermarkets, retail warehouses and out of town developments.
Other retail premises will not be charged, in an effort to spare town centre businesses further difficulties.
