Published: Friday, 3rd January 2025
The next round of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) applications opened on 1 January 2025, and community groups have until 1 February 2025 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.
Cllr Jim Moriarty, Cabinet member for Planning and Licensing, said:
“Supporting communities and promoting growth and prosperity in West Norfolk are two of the council’s key priorities for our borough.
“With CIL funding you can see these priorities being delivered in a very real way because you can see the difference they will make both at grass roots level in communities and across West Norfolk.
“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 creating or improving children's play areas 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. Any amount approved above £50k goes to Cabinet for final approval.
For more information please visit our CIL funding applications page.
Over £1.3M was awarded in the last CIL allocation to support 39 local infrastructure projects. Successful applicants from this round of applications will be decided at a CIL panel later this year (2025).