HANDFORTH Parish Council is to challenge a Cheshire East report which it claims will see the community lose out on £2 million.

Cheshire East Council is consulting on plans to introduce a planning charge which could be used to support the development of the area.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allows local authorities to raise funds from developers undertaking new building projects in their area.

The money can be used to help fund a range of infrastructure needed as a result of development, and the levy is charged as a fixed rate per square metre of new floorspace.

Handforth Parish Council supports the introduction of the levy, but is opposing the charging proposal for the North Cheshire Growth Village, which it claims will cost the community dear.

Parish council chairman Cynthia Samson said: “While the council favours the introduction of the CIL, which will give greater involvement at town/parish council level regarding the use of funds from developments and their application to infrastructure projects the council feels are the most worthy, it is deeply unhappy about the contents of the proposed CIL charging schedule.

“In the schedule a levy rating of zero has been applied to the North Cheshire Growth Village, the largest development to take place in Handforth.

“This rating represents, at the very least, a loss of about £2 million which, as a result of the implementation of CIL, would have come directly to the parish council to invest in areas of community infrastructure which the parish council feels would have most benefitted.

”The parish council has unanimously agreed to challenge the zero-levy rating by sending their own representation to Cheshire East and encouraging residents to send in representations."

The council is also to seek the support of Tatton MP Esther McVey, and is to appoint a consultant to challenge the report produced for Cheshire East Council, which the council says “at present considers the site ‘non-viable’ in terms of attaching a CIL levy owing to over-inflated costs and low selling prices”.

“Once received we will pass our own viability report to CEC and the independent inspector for the inspector to judge whether, in terms of CIL the site is or is not viable,” added Cllr Samson.

Cheshire East Council is consulting on the draft charging schedule until November 6.

Residents can view the consultation documents, including the draft schedule, and submit responses online using the council's consultation portal – (draft charging schedule page).

If the council goes ahead with its CIL charge it could be adopted and operational by next spring.