Local communities across England can apply now for grants and technical support to develop a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development this year (2022/23).

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.

Town and parish councils, neighbourhood forums and prospective neighbourhood forums preparing a neighbourhood development plan or neighbourhood development order in England may apply for the following:

• A basic grant of between £1,000 and £10,000 for groups writing a neighbourhood plan or neighbourhood development order.
• An additional grant of up to £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 programme is particularly keen to help ambitious groups, from all types of neighbourhoods, who want to really influence how their place grows and changes going into the future.

To apply for an additional grant of up to £8,000, applicants must be at least one of the following:

• Allocating sites for housing.
• Including design codes in their plans.
• A designated business neighbourhood plan.
• A cluster of three or more parishes writing a single plan.
• A Neighbourhood Area with a population of more than 25,000.
• A designated neighbourhood forum.
• A group based in an area which has a high level of deprivation (where 30% or more of the neighbourhood area or population is in the 20% most deprived areas in England according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation).

Eligible applicants must be based in England.

The grant ceiling applies to the period April 2015 to March 2023. All grants must be spent before 31 March 2023.

Expressions of Interest can be submitted at any time before March 2023.

How To Apply

There is a two step application process:

• The first step is to complete an Expression of Interest (EoI).
• Once this is done, groups will now be automatically directed to the application form which they will be able to begin completing immediately. Unlike previous years, groups will no longer receive an application form link overnight and they now have 30 days to complete the application (previously it was 15 days).

For more information, visit the Neighbourhood Planning website.