Property levy is sly taxation, says Truslove
A levy on property development in Shropshire has been branded "another stealth tax" by commercial property agent John Truslove.
Redditch-based Truslove hit out after the Planning Inspectorate approved a scheme to introduce the charge next year.
Truslove said he was "highly sceptical" of claims that development will be unaffected.
Shropshire Council is only the second local authority in England to introduce plans for a community infrastructure levy. A similar project by Newark and Sherwood District Council was given the green light last month.
The new legislation will mean any development which receives planning permission after 1 January 2012 will have to pay £40 per square metre extra on new residential projects in Shrewsbury, the market towns and other key centres.
In addition, a charge of £80 per square metre will be imposed on new residential development in rural areas.
Truslove said: "This is just another stealth tax. I would very much like to see evidence to confirm that development will not be affected by yet another financial outgoing. The property market, both commercial and residential, remains in a fragile state. Financial impositions such as this can only damage it further.
"The government needs to get a grip of this sort of thing – business cannot sustain repeated visits to the money well by the likes of wasteful councils."
The charging schedule is due to be adopted on 24 November and any undetermined applications at the turn of the year will be liable for the levy, regardless of when they were submitted.
