2026 RICS community infrastructure levy Index published

BCIS has published the updated RICS Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Index for 2026, showing a 2.3% rise compared with the previous year.

The index, which is used by local authorities to update rates in CIL charging schedules, will apply to charges calculated from 1 January 2026.

Karl Horton, data services director at BCIS, said: ‘The CIL charge, which can be levied by local authorities on new developments in their area, is an important tool to help deliver the infrastructure needed to support these schemes.’

In most cases, the amount of levy payable is calculated by multiplying the gross internal area by the rate for a particular development type. These rates are set out in the relevant charging schedule published by each authority.

Collecting authorities must also apply an index of inflation to keep the levy rate responsive to market conditions, hence the RICS CIL Index is based on an average taken from the BCIS All-in Tender Price Index.

As the government works towards its target of 1.5 million new homes in England over the course of the current Parliament, mechanisms like the Community Infrastructure Levy play a vital role in ensuring that the infrastructure required for this growth can be delivered alongside new housing.

Horton said: ‘The CIL helps ensure that as housing delivery increases, local authorities have the means to provide the essential infrastructure that supports those developments, from roads and schools to utilities and public spaces.’

Meeting this target will require the construction of around 300,000 homes per year, a level not achieved in England since 1969⁽¹⁾. With only 153,900 homes completed in 2024, delivery will need to accelerate sharply in the coming years if the target is to be met.

The government has also signalled its ambition to boost long-term housing supply through the creation of 12 new towns, each expected to deliver at least 10,000 homes.

The plans were announced by Housing Secretary Steve Reed, following recommendations from the independent New Towns Taskforce. The government has confirmed the first three priority sites as Tempsford (Bedfordshire), Crews Hill (Enfield) and Leeds South Bank (Leeds), with work expected to begin on these locations during this Parliament.

Horton added: ‘Initiatives like the new towns programme highlight the scale of development the government is targeting. A responsive, evidence-based approach to infrastructure funding will be essential to make those ambitions deliverable.’

About the index 

The RICS CIL Index for each year is calculated as the average of the BCIS All-in TPI for the first three quarters of the previous year and the final quarter of the year before that. 

The BCIS All-in TPI is available to subscribers of BCIS CapX, alongside benchmark £/m2 costs and project analyses for buildings, which can form the basis of charging schedules and viability studies. 

The index is published on the fourth Monday in October each year and is not normally subject to revision. 

Further information 

More information on the updated Community Infrastructure Levy index, including figures for previous years is available here.

Further information on the ‘Community Infrastructure Levy (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019’ and related Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government guidance is available here.

The RICS CIL index is prepared, maintained and published by BCIS.

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^{(1) GOV.UK – Indicators of house building, UK: permanent dwellings started and completed by country  - here}