CONSULTATION has begun on how much developers should be expected to pay towards local infrastructure in Stroud district.

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a nationwide scheme which came into being in 2010.

Under it, councils levy a charge on new houses and other commercial development according to their floor area.

Each council has to set the amounts which it will charge based on local evidence.

Once implemented, CIL partly replaces planning legal agreements which will be restricted from April 2015.

Stroud District Council leader and Dursley councillor Geoff Wheeler said they have to strike the right balance when setting the CIL to fund infrastructure and encourage appropriate development at teh same time.

“It’s an important issue, because 15 per cent and 25 per cent of it will be available for parish and town councils to spend on what is needed in their communities,” he said.

The proposals include setting a charge of £80 per square metre for new housing developments and £150 per square metre for supermarkets and retail warehouses.

A nil rate would be charged for strategic developments set out in the Local Plan which provide their own infrastructure on-site and for housing sites within the Stroud Valley bottoms where economic conditions remain challenging.

This is the first opportunity for the district’s community to have its say on the suggested rates for CIL and how it will be applied.

It runs until 5pm on Wednesday, April 9.

To see the schedule and make comments, visit www.stroud.gov.uk/consult or call in at Ebley Mill.

A form can be filled in online, or downloaded and emailed to local.plan@stroud.gov.uk or posted to The Planning Strategy Team, Stroud District Council, Ebley Mill, Stroud, GL5 4UB.