Steve Dally disputes a £70k council charge on his home extension. He urges Waverley Council to investigate potential misconduct.
Steve and his wife, Caroline, obtained permission for their extension. Waverley Council initially said no fee was required, but then sent the unexpected £70,000 bill. Extensions typically do not require a CIL payment, which helps fund local infrastructure projects. Waverley requires paperwork for official exemption.
Steve believes the council’s actions are unfair and that everyone deserves an appeal. He says they are relentless about getting money and sees no compassion from the council.
Mr. Dally is requesting an outside review of the council by the Planning Officers Society. This review should identify any bad practices and offer ways to fix them. He has launched an online petition for change to push the council to be fair and open.
The petition claims that others have experienced similar problems. It states that Waverley Borough Council’s planning department has flaws and exploits CIL rules, unfairly targeting extensions and new homes often exempt from the levy. Residents deserve fair treatment, and councils must act responsibly, the petition claims and has gained almost 150 signatures so far, with 5,000 needed for a review.
West Berkshire, another council, modified its CIL process to offer more flexibility to homeowners after mistakes occurred. They now refund wrongly applied CIL charges, providing much-needed relief.
Two MPs, Jeremy Hunt and Greg Stafford, have become involved. They wrote to the Housing Minister, Angela Raynor, requesting a government investigation into CIL, citing unintended consequences for residents.
The government considers developer contributions important and plans to improve clarity. The ministry will share more details soon, but each council makes its own enforcement decisions.
Waverley councillors met in January and approved a discretionary review period, running from June 2025 to May 2026, for those already charged CIL.
Councillor Liz Townsend acknowledged Mr. Dally’s shock. She stated that CIL liabilities offer little flexibility for the council, but they will help him resolve the problem soon.
The councillor explained that flexibility does exist now with the review potentially helping residents with unexpected bills while following the law. To inform applicants early, the council created more communications to highlight CIL costs.
Councillor Townsend considers CIL vital infrastructure funding. The council is committed to a system that balances individual and community needs, ensuring fair implementation.