Neighbourhood Planning Grants and Support Programme

Description

Grants and technical support are available for town and parish councils, neighbourhood forums and prospective neighbourhood forums to draw up a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order in England.

Current Status: Open for Applications

Maximum value: £ 18,000

Objectives of Fund

The programme aims to support local communities that are drawing up a neighbourhood plan for their area. Neighbourhood planning was introduced in England by the Localism Act 2011 to give people a chance to decide how their local area should be developed and what should be built in the future. Groups will be able to determine where they want new homes, shops and offices to be built and have a say on what new buildings should look like.

The programme offers both funding in the form of a grant as well as technical support for those with more complex issues.

Value Notes

The Government has allocated over £30 million between 2018 – 2022 to support the development of neighbourhood plans or neighbourhood development orders.

The following support is available:

• A basic grant of between £1,000 and £10,000 for groups writing a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order.
• An additional grant of £8,000 is available for groups facing more complex issues, giving a maximum total amount of £18,000.
• Specific packages of technical support where needed.

The grant ceiling applies to the period April 2015 to March 2022.

Affordable Housing for Sale Grant Funding (pilot began in 2019-2020 and will continue in 2021-22):

• Groups wishing to bring forward Affordable Housing for Sale may be eligible for further grant funding of up to £10,000 to help develop these ideas.

Due to Government restrictions on this fund all grants must be spent within 12 months or by the end of the financial year, whichever is earliest.

Match Funding Restrictions

Match funding is not required.

Who Can Apply

Town and parish councils, neighbourhood forums and prospective neighbourhood forums preparing a neighbourhood development plan or neighbourhood development order in England may apply.

Groups with complex issues include:

• Neighbourhood forums (where there is no Parish or Town Council).
• Clusters of parishes.
• High growth areas.
• Deprived areas.
• Business led neighbourhood plans.
• Populations of over 25,000.
• Groups preparing a neighbourhood development order.

Eligible applicants must be based in England.

The programme is particularly keen to help ambitious groups, from all types of neighbourhood, who want to really influence how their place grows and changes going into the future.

For more details and restrictions on this grant please visit https://neighbourhoodplanning.org/about/grant-funding/