Waverley Borough Council has today launched a new Discretionary Review scheme to support homeowners who believe they have been unfairly charged the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) on residential projects such as extensions, annexes or self-builds.
The new Discretionary Review process is being introduced following formal approval by the Council's Executive Committee on 1 July 2025. It is designed to offer residents an opportunity to have historic CIL charges reviewed if they believe the council has made an error. This step reflects the council's commitment to making the CIL system clearer, fairer, and more responsive to the circumstances of individual householders.
From today (17 July), homeowners can submit a request for a Discretionary Review if they believe they were incorrectly charged CIL due to an error by the council on a residential extension, annexe, or self-build since the Community Infrastructure Levy was introduced on 1 March 2019.
All review requests will be independently examined by a professionally qualified reviewer, ensuring each case is assessed transparently and on its own merits. Each report will also be made public.
Councillor Liz Townsend, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economic Development, said:
"We know that some residents have faced real distress due to genuine mistakes made within an inflexible process governed by national legislation. This new scheme offers a lawful route to have those cases fairly and independently reconsidered.
"Since this issue was raised with us at the end of last year, we have been committed to identifying a mechanism that would help our residents, and this Discretionary Review process gives us the tools to do that. While we continue to call for national reform, this is one step forward amongst a raft of measures that we are putting in place to improve how CIL is applied to individual residential development."
Residents who apply for a review can find all the information they need for their case to be reviewed on the council's website at www.waverley.gov.uk/cildiscretionaryreview
Applications must be supported by appropriate documentation and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The council encourages any affected residents who feel they might have been impacted to come forward.
For more information or assistance with the process, please contact: cilhouseholderreview@waverley.gov.uk
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