Eastleigh, Hampshire: Oh dear, what a difference a year makes. It was all going so well when we reported on Eastleigh Borough Council‘s progress on its new Local Plan last year. Unfortunately one or two wheels fell off… Anyway they are back with a new consultation which can be found here and which runs until 02 December. And the program is put right back with Adoption eventually anticipated in April 2015.
But don’t be downhearted there is a little bonus attached here – Eastleigh is at the same time consulting on its Preliminary Draft Charging Schedule for the Community Infrastructure Levy. They have three zones: Zone A – Eastleigh Town Centre, Zone B: Strategic Site (i.e. major housing allocations) and Zone C: everywhere else. And are proposing to charge:
Zone A: Nothing. At all. Not even residential.
Zone B: £120 per sqm for supermarkets; £60 per sqm for hotels and nothing for anything else. Residential schemes will pay for their infrastructure through specific agreement.
Zone C: £120 per sqm for supermarkets; £60 per sqm for hotels and…
£75 per sqm residential (including sheltered accommodation). Just a touch more than the now active chargin rate in adjacent Southampton City (£70 per sqm) which seems fair. I’m surprised they didn’t break up the Borough a bit and capitalise on some of the more valuable areas as others have done.
At present there is no indication when CIL might come into force.