Form 1 does not grant an exemption, and the form numbers are not a sequence that every project must complete in full. Choose the documents that fit the permission and the claim. [1][2]
1. Provide the assessment information
Form 1: CIL Additional Information accompanies relevant planning submissions. It records the proposed development, existing buildings and floorspace information used to assess liability. Complete the floor-area entries against the drawings rather than using an approximate property listing. The form and its guidance distinguish existing, retained, demolished and proposed areas. [1]
Where development is authorised by a general consent, such as permitted-development rights, Form 5: Notice of Chargeable Development may be the relevant notification. A prior-approval route should not be assumed to remove CIL obligations. [3]
2. Identify who will be liable
Form 2: Assumption of Liability identifies the person taking responsibility for paying CIL. It should be dealt with before commencement and is also relevant when claiming a self-build exemption. Keep the named person and the planning reference consistent across the documents. [4][5]
Form 3 concerns withdrawal of an assumption of liability; Form 4 concerns transfer to another person. They are not extra forms everyone files after Form 2. Use them when the responsibility actually changes and check the timing with the collecting authority. [2]
3. Apply for any relevant exemption
The household claim forms are:
- Form 7 Part 1 for self-build housing, followed by Part 2 after completion.
- Form 8 for a residential annex.
- Form 9 for a residential extension. [2]
The self-build and household forms require the claim to be granted before work starts. Do not substitute a draft form, the planning officer's general advice or an application description for the written CIL exemption decision. [5][6][7]
Other relief forms exist, including those for charitable and social-housing relief. A project should not select the self-build form merely because none of the other descriptions looks familiar; eligibility must match the actual proposal. [2]
4. Reconcile the liability notice
The collecting authority issues the liability calculation. Check the reference, development description, liable person, floorspace, rate and any relief. A liability notice and a demand notice serve different purposes: the demand sets out the payment requirements once the collection stage is reached. Retain both rather than treating the first number received as the only CIL document. [8]
5. Notify the actual start
Where required, Form 6: Commencement Notice must reach the collecting authority before the stated start date. It is a CIL notice, not a building-control inspection booking. The form expressly warns about surcharges and loss of normal payment arrangements if the requirement is missed. [9]
There is an important exception: Form 9 states that a qualifying residential extension exemption with a liability notice issued on or after 1 September 2019 does not require this commencement notice. Do not apply that exception to an annex or a self-build home. Historic notices need their own check. [7][6][5]
6. Keep the post-start file complete
For self-build, diarise Form 7 Part 2 and its supporting evidence within six months of the compliance certificate. Keep evidence of submission and the authority's response. Changes of ownership, permission or intended use should also prompt a check of the existing CIL position. [10][8]
A practical responsibility sheet should name who prepares each form, who signs it, who submits it and who checks receipt. Before authorising the builder to start, assemble the permission, liability notice, exemption grant and any required commencement receipt in one place.