Community Infrastructure Levy: food and carbon

I have been remiss in my failure to address the potential for using the Community Infrastructure Levy  (CIL) to help the planning system help those engaged in sustainable development.

Charging schedules should include the following two items fundamental to sustainable development of the District.

1.  Regional food systems are and will become increasingly important to the sustainability and resilience of local areas.  These should be recognised as essential elements of sustainable development - the golden thread running through plan-making and decision-taking.  CIL should be used to overcome the 'barriers' in accordance with paragraph 161 of the NPPF.  The infrastructure needs that should be financed through CIL are a supply of affordable residential smallholdings and local food processing facilities.

2.  Although the NPPF is introduced on the basis that the purpose of planning is to achieve sustainable development which is said to be development that would not disadvantage future generations, none of development taking place and planned to take place in the District meets the simple test of sustainability; that it 'consumes its own smoke'.   In these circumstances CIL should be used to sequester or off-set these emissions.  Infrastructure projects should be identified and developed through these developer contributions to neutralise the emissions from both new building and the emissions from the new traffic and the consequent increase in congestion.  Funding should be provided to existing organisations working to reduced carbon emissions within the District.