CIL and gross internal areas - Public forum - Planning Advisory Service (PAS)

We have been discussing this at Wycombe DC. Not just on large schemes but on everything. Our techinal and vetting staff are not used to GIA and are concerned that they will have to check the figures, our compliance team are concerned that they will have to check the development once it is built, both are potentially time consuming and an additional drain on an already stretched resource . I would be interested to know what the lead authorities are doing about this, what approach have they taken?

My view is it should be 'all or nothing' when it comes to authorities instigating a CIL GIA checking policy - to be selective would not to treat all applicants the same and therefore demonstrably unfair. Regarding checking a development once built, my view is that this is a bridge too far. My reading of the Regs is that CIL goes hand in glove to whatever GIA the applicant applies and obtains a permission for, not for what GIA he eventually builds out should that vary from this. Granted that Reg 69(3) gives an authority the right to issue a revised demand notice at any time, but I would have thought that the intention behind this is to correct matters if it becomes apparent that there was a mistake in the original demand notice such as the use of incorrect areas, incorrect rates etc, not to allow an authority to remeasure on completion and adjust for a built out GIA that differs from the GIA for which the applicant obtained planning for. Regarding resources to check areas, these can always be supplemented by employing an external consultant whose fee would form part of the administrative expenses to be met by CIL under Reg 61. Like Charles, I too would be interested to know what the front runners have done/are doing in respect of instigating a CIL GIA checking policy.