As people bear the brunt of the cost-of-living crisis and rising national debt, Rugby’s Conservative-led Council glosses over a failure to collect up to £20 million in taxes from development since 2010.

They also fail to say how they will fund an uncosted proposal to clear the countryside of litter from non-degradable plastics. Plastics they, and developers, used when planting over 30,000 saplings.

Failing to collect taxes

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a tax on development that was introduced by the Government in 2010. In 2017 a government report* showed the average returns from Local Authorities that had implemented the scheme was £1.5million per year. Based on these figures, £20million is a cautious estimate of what Rugby could have collected.

After a recent consultation, the proposed charging schedule was presented by the Conservative portfolio holder at this week’s Full Council meeting. Rugby Labour Group Leader, Cllr Moran pointed out that the Conservatives almost missed another opportunity. Cllr Moran spoke of how the charging schedule only included residential development until Labour pointed out that the big money would be on taxing warehousing. Speaking after the Council meeting, Cllr Moran said “we’re pleased the majority party listened on the warehouse issue but incredibly frustrated that Rugby is so far behind. It will be months before the process is complete and we can start to see the money coming in”.

Speaking on the wasted opportunity to collect £20million since 2010, Cllr Moran commented “the local Conservative party chose to side with local landowners to allow widespread development on Rugby’s Green Belt and added insult to injury in choosing not to apply the CIL development tax. They offered no explanation for this when I asked the direct question in the Chamber”.

Labour challenges Conservatives over plastic waste

Speaking for the Conservative Group, Cllr Rabin’s motion informed the Council that 30,000 trees had been planted in the Borough in 2017; he did not have data on how many trees were planted since. Cllr Rabin advised that the Council, and other planters, were using non degradable plastic tree guards to protect the saplings from damage by wildlife. The proposal, seconded by the responsible Conservative portfolio holder, Cllr Picker, was to change these practises and clear up the litter.

Labour’s Cllr Robinson spoke on the motion to highlight “given the obvious known harms of plastics in the natural environment it is hugely disappointing that the Conservative-led Council is only now, in the Autumn of 2023 considering this” adding that “the Conservative Government in Westminster is not much better; publishing guidance to ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’ plastic tree protection as late as May 2020 and a report to roll-out the use of biodegradable tree guards only last year.” Cllr Robinson highlighted the proposal lacked numbers, rigour, and expediency, stating that the Conservative-led administration should be “getting on with it”, there was no need for debate.

The vagueness about the actual number of trees planted since 2017 and lack of any costs for the collection of plastic litter means there should be a further proposal put before Council to sign off the expenditure. Scrutiny Committee Chair, Cllr Mistry spoke after the debate, “we will hold them to account, the figures will have to come forward and if they don’t then it will be apparent this is all talk and no action”.

When the Conservative-led Council does the maths, will this environmental policy go the same way as the National Government’s pledges have? Will they follow Rishi’s lead, or will they finally collect the development tax and put it to good use?

*The value impact and delivery of the Community Infrastructure Levy, Department for Communities and Local Government, February 2017.