Ealing Council Finally Adopts Community Infrastructure Levy
Opposition says move has come 15 years too late
The CIL is a way of raising money from developers. Picture: AI generated
December 18, 2025
Ealing Council has voted to adopt the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), making it the last London borough to introduce the charge on developers. The decision was taken at recent council meeting, with implementation scheduled for March 2026 — just months before the May local elections.
The Community Infrastructure Levy, introduced nationally in 2008, allows local authorities to collect contributions from developers to fund infrastructure such as schools, healthcare, transport, and green spaces. Most London boroughs adopted the levy years ago, but Ealing has delayed implementation despite receiving approval in 2016.
The Liberal Democrat opposition has been vocal in its criticism of the delay. Councillor Jon Ball, Deputy Leader and spokesperson on Housing and Development, argued that developers in Ealing have enjoyed a financial advantage for 15 years compared to other boroughs.
“Thousands of luxury flats have been built, major schemes have gone ahead, and developers have made substantial profits — while this council chose not to apply a levy that virtually every other borough treated as routine,” he said. Cllr Ball estimates that Ealing has forgone around £90 million in potential funding, money that could have supported schools, social care, affordable housing, or reduced council tax increases.
The Liberal Democrats describe the delay as a “political failure” and have pledged to hold the Labour administration accountable for the missed revenue.
Under the draft scheme, developers will pay £300 per square metre in town centres, £150 elsewhere, and £350 for student housing. These figures compare with Brent (£340/sqm), Harrow (£187/sqm), and Hounslow (£96–£274/sqm).
The Labour Pary in Ealing disputes the Liberal Democrats’ £90 million estimate of lost revenue and has defended its record, pointing to the scale of housing delivery in the borough and arguing that the new charges are broadly in line with neighbouring councils.
An Ealing Labour spokesperson said, “These comments highlight the Liberal Democrats’ lack of understanding about how the council operates. The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is simply a different mechanism to achieve what Section 106 agreements have been doing for years.
“Ealing Council has consistently secured income through Section 106 on an annual basis – receiving over £9m from Section 106 agreements in the last 12 months, while also securing over £11m in contributions in that period.”
Developers argued strongly against introducing the levy. At a government examination earlier this year, Berkeley Homes — developer of the 88-acre Gas Works site in Southall — argued that the proposed charges could inflate its obligations from £22 million to £84 million. The inspector challenged these figures, suggesting the borough-level levy would more likely amount to £60 million, and noted that Berkeley’s slow progress on delivering homes had contributed to the increased liability.
Other developers, including Luxgrove Capital Partners and Christian Vision, raised concerns about the economic viability of projects under the new levy. However, the inspector emphasised the borough’s need for infrastructure and the alignment of its policies with the London Plan.
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