RURAL lobbying association the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) is encouraging Herefordshire people to respond to an important consultation.

Herefordshire Council is consulting on the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a new levy that local authorities in England and Wales can choose to charge on new developments in their area.

The Government says the levy is designed to be fairer, faster and more transparent than the previous system of agreeing planning obligations between local councils and developers under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

In areas where a community infrastructure levy is in force, land owners and developers must pay the levy to the local council. The charges are set by the council, based on the size and type of the new development.

The charge may be levied on one or more dwellings, and developments of more than 100 square metres of floor space. Exemptions include affordable housing and charities.

Richard Goodwin, CLA rural surveyor, said: “This is an important opportunity for Herefordshire residents to influence future development in the county and I would encourage everyone to make their opinions known, or live with the consequences.

“It is particularly important that residents voice their opinion on the proposed CIL.

"This will hit rural areas particularly hard. When added to the other costs this will suppress development, impacting the rural economy and the ability to regenerate our rural villages in Herefordshire.

“We are urging Herefordshire Council to re-think this excessive charging policy, which is completely out of proportion to other counties and quite simply a tax on enterprise.”

But Herefordshire Council said that the Localism Act of 2011 has broadened the scope of the levy to enable a “meaningful proportion” of CIL revenues to go directly to neighbourhoods where development takes place.

In a statement to the Hereford Times, Herefordshire Council said that east and n o r t h e r n Herefordshire rural areas have a proposed charge of £140 per square metre for residential development.

Western Herefordshire is proposed to be charged at £100 per square metre for residential development.

The statement said: "The government announced on January 10 that neighbourhoods which have taken a proactive approach by drawing up a neighbourhood development plan, and securing the consent of local people in a referendum, will receive 25 per cent of the revenues from the CIL arising from the development that they choose to accept.

"The monies will be paid directly to parish and town councils and can be used to back the community’s priorities for example to re-roof a village hall, refurbish a municipal pool or take over a community pub.

"Neighbourhoods without a neighbourhood development plan will still receive a capped 15 per cent share of the levy revenue arising from development in their area.

"Neighbourhood Development Plans give local people the opportunity to decide the future of the places where they live and work.

"This allows the community to set out the vision for an area and the planning policies for the use and development of land, this can include choosing where new homes, shops, leisure facilities or employment opportunities are to be built and what these buildings should look like, within the parish or neighbourhood area."

The consultation can be accessed online in the consultations section of www.herefordshire.gov.uk or at any info centre or library in the county. The closing date for responses is April 22.