You may have heard Backwell Parish Council (BPC) talking about CIL funds — this stands for Community Infrastructure Levy. CIL is a charge paid by developers when new homes or buildings are built. This fund purpose is to help local communities cope with growth by funding improvements to local facilities and infrastructure.
💷 How CIL works in Backwell
- North Somerset Council (NSC) collects the CIL funds from developments
- A portion is passed directly to BPC (“the neighbourhood share”).
- Strict regulations mean that CIL can only be used for specific projects that provide long-term community benefits. As a result, it cannot be used for day-to-day running costs.
- Annual CIL reports, showing how money has been received and spent by BPC, can be viewed here.
Throughout the past few years, BPC has engaged with North Somerset Council on several occasions to seek clarity on the rules surrounding CIL spending. Consequently, this engagement will ensure that all expenditure meets the required criteria, and these discussions continue.
🛠️ What’s being done with CIL in Backwell?
- Due to the roundabout at the Moor Lane play area reaching the end of its usable life, BPC has committed £16,125 of its current CIL funds to replace it with a new, fully accessible roundabout, suitable for all children, including wheelchair users, to enjoy
- The roundabout has been ordered and will be installed in the spring
- BPC confirmed with NSC that this project meets the eligibility criteria for CIL funding.
📢 How residents can get involved
BPC anticipates receiving additional CIL funds over the next few years from planned developments in the village.
Once the ongoing discussions with NSC provide clearer guidelines, BPC will present residents with a range of options for how CIL funds could be used to benefit the community. Residents will be invited to provide feedback.
📄 BPC’s Annual CIL reports to NSC can be viewed here.