Most of you will be familiar with the idea that in order to obtain the ‘In Use Building’ Credit for CIL, any building on the application site needs to be standing on the day planning permission for any new development is granted.
What is less well known is:
1) that if you have consent to use the existing building for the same use as the new consent, the three-year rule does not apply, and so the ‘in use building’ credit will apply irrespective of vacancy.
2) that it is possible to activate a ‘mean while use’ to reengage the standard ‘in use building’ credit while you planning application progresses, which is handy as hardly any planning applications take less than 12 months.
3) that (outside London) – with careful planning you should be able to claim both the Vacant Building Credit for Social Housing and the ‘In Use Building Credit for CIL.
This advice could well save you hundreds of thousands of pounds in the future - remember it well!
