Published: Monday, 1st July 2024
The next round of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) applications opens today (1 July), and community groups will have until 1 August to apply.
CIL funding is drawn from a levy on development in the borough and can be used for a variety of projects that improve community assets.
Stuart Ashworth, Assistant Director for Environment and Planning, said: “CIL funding can be used to fund a range of projects that can make a real difference to communities.
“Its current focus is on supporting communities to pay for local infrastructure – in practice this usually means something like a community amenity that can be widely enjoyed.
“We’ve had the pleasure of funding many local schemes, such as forest school facilities, new play equipment and new sporting facilities.
“If you have an idea for a scheme that will benefit your community, it’s worth thinking about whether it could be funded by CIL.”
CIL funding can be used in the following areas:
Green Infrastructure Projects
- Projects relating to public open spaces, such as new or improved footpaths and cycleways, to support new development
- Installation and improvement of public play areas and equipment
- Open spaces used for education, to support environmental initiatives
- Improvement of habitats for wildlife and nature, to alleviate the effects of new development
- Environmental services such as flood defence or absorption of air pollution
Leisure Time Activities Infrastructure
- Infrastructure projects that support accessible leisure time activities, such as new facilities, improvement or upgrade of existing facilities to enable an increase of usage, to support new development of an area
The following types of projects cannot be considered for CIL Funding, as they do not fall within the definition of infrastructure to support new development:
- Projects in areas with no development, which cannot demonstrate how they benefit the wider community or support new development
- Improvements to private enterprises/charitable or community facilities, unless they increase capacity
- The provision of services - payments to individuals/businesses which are not specifically related to new development
- Staffing costs
- Ongoing maintenance costs for completed projects
- Projects that do not increase the capacity of a facility/building or structure
- Projects that relate to sundry items, i.e. miscellaneous small items or works that do not fit within the definition of infrastructure
- The minimum sum that can be applied for is £2,000. There is no upper limit as such but funding will be based on the amount available to be allocated.
For more information please visit this link: https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/cil-applications.