Consultation on Priorities for Neighbourhood Spending of the Community Infrastructure Levy

The Council collects money for infrastructure from new developments through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). This is a charge based on the floorspace of new developments.

Under the CIL regulations, the Council needs to put 15% of the collected CIL money towards infrastructure in the relevant area where development takes place. This is referred to here as ‘15% local CIL’. For many other authorities, this means passing the money to parish councils, but in Reading, as there are no parishes, it can be spent on local schemes within the Borough.

Of the remaining CIL, 80% is used for strategic infrastructure, and this usually means items within the Council’s capital programme. The Council can retain 5% for administration of CIL.

This consultation is about how we should prioritise spending the 15% local CIL. We last consulted on this matter in February 2021 and the comments made have helped us to allocate £4.7 million since 2021 to local projects, many of which have now been completed or are well underway.

The Council has a CIL Spend Protocol from 2021 (on our website here) which sets out how we make decisions on spending 15% local CIL. The views of the local community on priorities are considered alongside other matters such as compliance with CIL Regulations, strategic priorities and the relationship to development that has taken place. Each time potential allocations are assessed, they are considered against these criteria. This means that your priorities will be vital to help us make these allocations. 

The consultation asks what your main priorities are for how we should spend 15% local CIL. This feedback will be one of the main factors we will consider in future allocations.

Please ensure that you have submitted your comments by 5pm on 18th February 2026. If you have any questions, please contact the CIL team on CIL@reading.gov.uk.