A grandfather who was wrongly charged £70,000 for a home extension is demanding a Surrey council to investigate ‘potential bad practises’ in the planning department.

Steve and his wife, Caroline Dally, were hit with the hefty fee for a home extension and given no opportunity to argue their case.

Mr and Mrs Dally were granted planning permission by Waverley Borough Council (WBC) to demolish and replace an existing extension at their home in Godalming, which was exempt from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a charge aimed at getting developers to contribute towards essential infrastructure. But they suddenly and unexpectedly faced the £70,000 CIL charge, with no appeal.

While self-builders and home extensions are exempt from CIL payments, in Waverley, applicants need to complete paperwork first to confirm this.

“Even if I committed an act of terrorism and was found guilty, I would still get a right to appeal- not under CIL,” Steve previously told SurreyLive.

He said: “They pursue you relentlessly to get the money out of you. There’s no compassion, there’s no understanding.”

Now, Mr Dally is calling on WBC to conduct an independent review by the Planning Officers Society to “shed light on potential bad practices and offer reform options”.

Launching an online petition, Mr Dally is demanding “transparency, accountability, and a commitment to fair practices” from the council.

A statement on Change.org reads: “This personal hardship isn’t isolated. Numerous other Waverley residents have experienced similar hardships due to the ambiguous and unaccountable practices of WBC’s Planning Department – an undeniable flaw in the current system.

“CIL Legislation empowers councils to raise funds for infrastructure, but it appears some councils are exploiting this power by unfairly pursuing home extensions, self-build new homes, and annexes, which should be CIL exempt.

“This review is an important step towards ensuring that Waverley residents are treated fairly and councils act responsibly when exercising their powers under the CIL legislation.”

More than 140 people have signed the petition so far, but 5,000 signatures are needed from those who live, work or study in the Borough for the petition to be addressed at a full council meeting.

Not a unique case, West Berkshire Council made the landmark decision in May 2024 to change the way the local authority does CIL to improve ‘the CIL customer journey’. This included adopting a new enforcement policy to allow greater flexibility in enforcing CIL liabilities when genuine homeowner mistakes had occurred. As well as introducing a discretionary repayment policy, ensuring that wrongly applied CIL charges can be refunded, providing much-needed relief to affected homeowners.

MPJeremy Hunt and MP Greg Stafford have written to Angela Raynor, Minister of Housing, urging the government to step in and investigate CIL. The pair said it has “become clear that our residents are suffering from unintended consequences of this legislation”.

A spokesperson for the ministry said: “The government is committed to improving the system of developer contributions so it is as clear and effective as possible. We will set out further details in due course.”

Although developer contributions include how CIL operates, individual enforcement decisions are a matter for the charging authority.

During a meeting on January 28, Waverley councillors agreed that householders previously subjected to CIL liability can request for a discretionary review by the council from June 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026. The motion was in line with West Berkshire Council

Councillor Liz Townsend, portfolio holder for planning and economic development for Waverley, said: “We sympathise with Mr Dally and appreciate that it must have been a tremendous shock to receive such a large bill unexpectedly.

“Community Infrastructure Levy liabilities are legally binding, and leave the council with very little flexibility, but we are doing everything we can to help Mr Dally resolve this issue as soon as possible.”

The Liberal Democrat member said the discretionary review will allow the council to explore how it can support residents who face unexpected CIL bills, while maintaining compliance with national regulations. To avoid situations like this from occurring again, Cllr Townsend said the council has introduced additional communications, so applicants are aware as early as possible if CIL contributions will be associated with their projects.

“The Community Infrastructure Levy is a vital mechanism for funding local infrastructure,” Cllr Townsend said.

“We are committed to ensuring the CIL system works effectively for all residents and balances the needs of individual householders with the broader community’s infrastructure priorities.

“If residents have any queries or concerns about CIL, please email us at [email protected] or call 01483 523146.”