Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) charges, exemptions, penalties and appeals

Last Updated: 17 December 2024

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allows us to raise funds from developers and householders undertaking new building projects in South Lakeland. We use the money to help fund the wide range of infrastructure that is needed as a result of development. This includes new or safer road schemes, flood defences, schools, hospitals and other health and social care facilities, park improvements, green spaces and leisure centres.

Find out if you need to pay CIL

To find out if you need to pay CIL, or if you qualify for any exemptions.

Planning Portal: Guide to CIL and links to the CIL forms

CIL charges

CIL is calculated per square metre of development on gross internal area (GIA). GIA is the area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level (as defined by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Code of Measuring Practice, 6th Edition, 2007). This RICS definition is subject to exclusions set out within the CIL Regulations.

Gross Internal Area (GIA)

GIA is the area of a building measured to the internal face of the perimeter walls at each floor level (as defined by the RICS Code of Measuring Practice, 6th Edition, 2007). This RICS definition is subject to exclusions set out within the CIL Regulations.

GIA should include:

• areas occupied by internal walls and partitions
• columns, piers, chimney breasts, stairwells, lift-wells, other internal projections, vertical ducts, and the like
• atria and entrance halls, with clear height above, measured at base level only
• internal open-sided balconies, walkways, and the like
• structural, raked or stepped floors are to be treated as a level floor measured horizontally
• horizontal floors, with permanent access, below structural, raked or stepped floors
• corridors of a permanent essential nature (e.g. fire corridors, smoke lobbies)
• mezzanine floor areas with permanent access (subject to exclusion under CIL Regs)
• lift rooms, plant rooms, fuel stores, tank rooms, which are housed in a covered structure or a permanent nature, whether or not above the main roof level
• service accommodation such as toilets, toilet lobbies, bathrooms, showers, changing rooms, cleaner rooms, and the like
• projection rooms
• voids over stairwell and lift shafts on upper floors
• loading bays
• areas with a headroom of less than 1.5m
• pavement vaults
• garages and other ancillary buildings
• conservatories
• attic/loft space that is easily accessible (i.e. from a fixed staircase) and usable as habitable living accommodation

GIA should exclude:

• perimeter wall thicknesses and external projections
• external open-sided balconies, covered ways and fire escapes
• canopies
• voids over or under structural raked or stepped floors
• greenhouses, garden stores, fuel stores
• attic/loft space that is not easily accessible and not usable as rooms (i.e. have pulldown ladders or ceiling hatch access)

CIL rates per square metre

Our CIL rates per square metre are set out in the table below. The index figure for a given calendar year before 2020 is the figure for 1st November for the preceding calendar year in the national All-in Tender Price Index published by the Building Cost Information Service Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The index figure for 2020 and subsequent calendar years is the figure for 1st November for the preceding calendar year in the RICS Building Index for CIL.

The table shows the rates when CIL was first introduced in 2015 and the rounded up current rates index linked.

For residential development, we have three zones with different rates.

CIL Charging zone maps:

• Kendal, Canal Head CIL Charging Zone map
• Ulverston, Canal Head CIL Charging Zone map
• Ulverston, Croftlands CIL Charging Zone map

How to work out CIL

The multiplier for 2025 is 391/256 where 391 is the RICS Building Index for CIL 2025 and 256 is the BCIS index figure for 2015.

Multiply the Gross Internal Area of your development by the initial 2015 levy rate by the 391/256 multiplier:

Eg: 100 sq m x £50 x 391/256 = £7,636.72

Please contact our CIL team for further assistance in calculating CIL. 

Penalties for avoiding CIL

You might incur high costs by not dealing with CIL. We have very strong powers to recover unpaid CIL.

CIL exemptions

Find out more about CIL exemptions and the claim forms at the Planning Portal.

Some special exemptions, surcharges and interest, specific to South Lakeland.

Appeal against CIL

The Planning Inspectorate handle appeals against CIL. They will make sure your appeal is valid and will let you know all about the appeal process and timescales.

Make an appeal against CIL

CIL in South Lakeland

CIL was introduced by and is regulated in accordance with the (amended 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2019) CIL regulations 2010.

We have adopted the following polices in accordance with the regulations. CIL Policies in South Lakeland.

For more information on how we will spend CIL and how it fits in with other council policies refer to CIL and our CIL Infrastructure Delivery Plan.