Published: Monday 22 January 2024
Residents and community groups can apply now to a £3.5m fund for projects to make neighbourhoods greener, safer and fairer.
Bids are welcome from the community, local groups and partners, with previous funding awarded to resident associations and charities.
The funding comes from the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL), made up of contributions from developers. This is the fifth round of funding since 2021. Previous projects that were awarded funding include:
- Lighting, planting and CCTV for St John the Baptist Church
- Resurfacing a multi-use games area in Kensal Town
- Cycle Hangars and acoustic cameras across the borough
- Renovation and repainting on Golborne Bridge
Cllr Cem Kemahli, Lead Member for Planning and Public Realm, said:
“Thanks to developers investing in our borough, £3.5 million is ready and waiting for residents to spend to make their own communities even better. We want to make Kensington and Chelsea greener, safer and fairer so we are particularly looking for projects that help us achieve that. The money from previous rounds is already having an impact, from helping us tackle nuisance noise with acoustic cameras. to making our streets greener and safer with more trees and extra CCTV. If you have an idea, apply now.”
How to apply for NCIL
All the information you need, including guidance on the application, eligibility and previously funded projects is available on our planning pages. There you can fill in our NCIL funding form. You can also download the form to apply by email or post.
Applications are open until 12 March 2024 and will be assessed against criteria by officers. Ward councillors will make final decisions on money awarded to projects in their ward. Projects delivered by the Council will be worked into departmental workplans in the next financial year. Projects delivered by the community can commence once ward members decisions have been confirmed and arrangements for funding have been agreed.
What is NCIL funding?
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a fund made up of contributions from developers for new developments. Developers are required to put aside some money for local communities in the areas where they build in the borough – this is called Neighbourhood CIL.
Does everywhere in Kensington and Chelsea have funding?
The Council has redistributed a proportion of the NCIL income from wards with many new developments so that wards where no development has happened still have some NCIL funding. This means that groups in every ward will have an opportunity to apply.
Who can apply for NCIL?
Residents’ associations, local community groups, registered charities, infrastructure providers and community interest companies from all over the borough can apply to the fund, even in areas where there have been no new developments this year. You can see previously funded projects in our NCIL story map.