Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications of the snap-back clauses in the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations for private individuals who are self-building.

Self builders are able to obtain an exemption from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) if they are building, or have commissioned the building of, a home for their own use. There are necessary and proportionate 'claw-back' provisions to help guard against any 'gaming' of CIL liabilities following the granting of an exemption. These provisions require the self builder benefitting from the exemption to occupy the dwelling as their main home for a minimum of three years, and not to otherwise sell or let the property during that period.

The exemptions process has to fit within the legislative process within which CIL operates. CIL is, by law, a set charge on new development and the regulations incorporate a series of standard trigger points. These are intended to provide consistency, reduce complexity and aid local authorities and developers in administering CIL. The Commencement Notice is one of these trigger points. The Commencement Notice marks the start of the time period which, for most of the available exemptions from CIL, exempted developments need to comply with in terms of the 'claw-back' requirements. Failure to submit a Commencement Notice can result in an exemption being lost.

The Government have announced an ambitious package of reforms to CIL and will be consulting on these in due course.