Brighton communities benefit from new planning contribution

Communities in Brighton & Hove are set to benefit from more than £330,000, as part of a new planning contribution on development that has yielded its first major payment.

The Council has received £334,694 as part of the Coombe Farm development in Saltdean, the first major payment from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which is charged to developers as part of the planning process for some developments.

Coombe Farm will provide 72 homes, ranging from one to four bedrooms, with 29 affordable to rent or buy.

The money raised through the CIL will be spent on infrastructure projects, with £50,000 ringfenced for councillors to decide with their communities how to spend it in Rottingdean Coastal Ward, and the remaining £267,000 for projects anywhere the city.

Cllr Marianna Ebel, lead member for planning policy, said: ‘The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a set charge, which provides much more certainty for developers about how much money we expect them to contribute. It is great news for communities across Brighton & Hove which will benefit from the CIL payments.

‘The CIL charge also encourages developers to provide the full quota of affordable homes as they may then receive a discount. The city’s planning policy states that developers should offer at least 40% affordable homes to rent or buy. A recent report listed the city as being one of the least affordable to live in for people earning the living wage, so providing as many well designed, low-cost homes as possible is crucial.’

In addition to the CIL, the Council’s planning team negotiated further contributions of £53,400 for public art on the site, and £32,000 towards the local employment scheme which offers opportunities for apprenticeships and work for local people in construction.

You can find out more about the Community Infrastructure Levy here.

In related news, the Council is running a consultation on a proposed change to the planning process, which will require some larger planning applications to submit a Health Impact Assessment (HIA).

Photo by Kai Bossom