Megashambles? Nuclearshambles? Whatever it is, we have it.

Take a look at this letter from EDDC to the Planning Inspector:

Click to access lettertoinspector290814cil.pdf

The Planning Inspector, when he threw out the draft Local Plan also threw out EDDC’s attempt at setting a Community Infrastructure Levy. Useless figures in the draft Local Plan meant no confidence could be placed in the figures for CIL.

If you are a councillor, how can you hold your head up in public and admit that this has been allowed to happen on your watch – bearing in mind that the Act that brought in the need to set a Levy came into being in 2008:

“The Planning Act 2008 provides a wide definition of the infrastructure which can be funded by the levy, including transport, flood defences, schools, hospitals, and other health and social care facilities. This definition allows the levy to be used to fund a very broad range of facilities such as play areas, parks and green spaces, cultural and sports facilities, district heating schemes and police stations and other community safety facilities. This gives local communities flexibility to choose what infrastructure they need to deliver their development plan.”

Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/6313/1897278.pdf

So, now S106 payments have been tightened up to exclude those payments that should be covered by CIL, our developers get a double bonus: build anywhere and don’t pay for the infrastructure that the development should have – such as flood defences, for example. No levy, no obligation.

And what does ” further assessment in respect of Cranbrook and its future development” mean?

Do local people really grasp what a terrible mess we are in?