Epsom Council is asking for residents' views on a new scheme which would see it charging a levy on developers in the area which would then be used to fund community infrastructure projects.

The council is in the process of introducing a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a charge that local planning authorities can choose to charge on certain new developments in their area to raise funds to help pay for other local infrastructure schemes.

These schemes would include  town centre highway improvements, improvements to public open space, and those focusing on community, education, library and healthcare facilities.

A council spokesman said that the CIL will allow the council to set its own priorities for what the money raised should be spent on, allow it to plan ahead more effectively, give developers greater certainty from the start about how much money they will be expected to contribute, and will make the system more transparent for residents as the council will report on what it has spent the levy on each year.

The CIL, which has been introduced by the Government, will not apply to affordable housing or site-specific infrastructure, which will continue to be covered under existing legislation - known as ‘section 106 money’.

The council is asking residents to comment on its preliminary draft charging schedule, which is the first step in setting up the CIL and sets out its proposed charges.

Councillor Michael Arthur, chairman of the council’s planning policy committee, said: "CIL charges have to be based on viability. 

"We have to ensure that there is an appropriate balance between the rates being high enough to help fund infrastructure and not harming the economic viability of a development we want to encourage within the borough."

The consultation will be open for comments until August 19.  Visit http://epsom-ewell.limehouse.co.uk/portal/ to view the consultation.