Waverley Lib Dems Slam Conservative U-Turn on Community Infrastructure Levy Charges
Waverley Lib Dems Slam Conservative U-Turn on Community Infrastructure Levy Charges
The Waverley Liberal Democrats are calling out the Conservatives for their blatant hypocrisy and lack of foresight over the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charges. This issue highlights a pattern of poor policy-making and political posturing that leaves residents paying the price for Conservative mismanagement.
Back in October 2018, the Conservative-led Waverley Borough Council chose not to offer discretionary CIL relief. At the time, the Lib Dem representative Cllr Paul Follows voiced concerns about the rigidity of the policy and its potential to unfairly burden homeowners and small-scale developers. These warnings were ignored. The CIL policy adopted by the Conservative administration included provisions that imposed charges even on homeowners’ extensions, as noted in the council's preliminary report. Despite the clear evidence of inequity, the Conservatives forged ahead, implementing CIL in March 2019.
Fast forward to today, and we now see senior Conservatives, including Jeremy Hunt, criticising the very decisions their own party made. Mr. Hunt recently expressed concerns over “CIL injustice,” conveniently neglecting to mention that it was his local party that adopted it without addressing its shortcomings. This political U-turn is nothing short of a desperate attempt to distance themselves from their own failures.
CIL: A Missed Opportunity for Fairness
CIL was designed as a mechanism to ensure that developers contribute to the infrastructure needs of the communities they build in. Yet, under the Conservatives, the policy has been implemented in a way that penalises ordinary residents while failing to deliver its full potential. By choosing not to offer discretionary relief, the Conservatives showed a lack of empathy for homeowners seeking to make modest improvements to their properties. The preliminary report’s inclusion of homeowners’ extensions as chargeable developments should have been a red flag—but it was ignored.
The Lib Dem Vision for a Fairer Approach
The Waverley Liberal Democrats have always championed policies that balance the need for infrastructure funding with fairness for residents. Unlike the Conservatives, we believe in:
- Discretionary CIL Relief: Offering relief for homeowners and small-scale developers to prevent unfair charges for modest extensions and improvements.
- Transparency and Accountability: Ensuring that CIL funds are used effectively to deliver the infrastructure improvements communities need. All funds collected are available to the public here.
- Engaging with Residents: Listening to concerns and adapting policies to reflect the realities faced by those impacted.
If the Conservatives had adopted a more considered approach in 2018, we could have avoided the current outcry over CIL injustice. Instead, their short-sightedness has created unnecessary financial burdens and mistrust among residents.
Conservatives Must Own Their Failures
The Waverley Liberal Democrats are calling on the Conservatives to stop dodging responsibility for their own decisions. If Jeremy Hunt and his party are truly serious about addressing “CIL injustice,” they must acknowledge their role in creating the problem and work with us to implement real solutions. Empty criticism and political U-turns will not suffice.
Residents deserve better than this cynical blame game. The Liberal Democrats remain committed to fighting for fair and equitable policies that put people first.