A NEW funding scheme to improve Selby's infrastructure will be in place from next month.

Selby District Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) was agreed earlier this year, and will see fees charged on new buildings, homes and businesses to fund improvements to infrastructure.

Meetings have been held with developers and planning agents to ensure they are fully aware of the plans, which also affect the way the fees are redistributed to parish councils, with meetings planned for early 2016 for councillors and clerks to find out more about the new system.

The CIL will take charges of between £10 and £50-per-square-metre, £110sqm for supermarkets and £60sqm for retail warehouses from January 1, and the funds raised can only be spent on transport, flood defences, schools, health facilities and parks and green spaces, as well as the maintenance and improvement of facilities affected by development.

Council leader Mark Crane said: "The CIL, as proposed by the Government, has been widely consulted on, examined by a planning inspector and reviewed to ensure all those affected are full aware of the changes to this system.

"It will give councils an opportunity to allocate funds to support the infrastructure needed whilst ensuring that developers are able to provide the housing our district needs."