Neighbourhood planning funding sources*

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Neighbourhood planning funding sources
A question we often get asked is how much do
neighbourhood plans cost, and where can groups
get money from? There is no fixed format or
template for a Neighbourhood Plan or Order.
Communities may wish to concentrate on a few
policies only which have a major impact on their
area. The cost of preparing a plan will therefore
vary depending on the neighbourhood area itself
and the complexity and scope of the proposed
plan. Its important for each community to
consider from the outset how theyll meet the
costs of producing a Neighbourhood Plan or Order,
remembering that costs can be met in non monetary
terms. Below are some helpful hints and tips
that have been pulled together from information
communities have shared with us, along with some
additional opportunities groups may wish to
explore.

• Direct support
• Tailored support packages from the neighbourhood
  planning support programme http//bit.ly/YQGy8V
• Expertise from local business, retailers and
  landowners (Uppingham and Thame again both
  benefitted from local expertise)
• Private sector consultants and developers
  undertaking pro-bono work (Milton Keynes, Eden
  and Exeter all benefitted from pro-bono support)
• Local authorities offering significant officer
  time and resource to help groups produce a
  neighbourhood plan (Cornwall, Leeds, Trafford and
  Lockleaze have all benefitted from local
  authority support). 
• University students have been a source of help
  and assistance in particular areas. For example
  Birmingham University and University of West of
  England students have helped deprived communities
  in Birmingham and Bristol.

• Grant programmes
• Neighbourhood planning support programme grants
  of up to 7000 http//bit.ly/YQGy8V
• The Heritage Lottery's Sharing Heritage programme
  awards grants of between 3,000 and 10,000
  http//bit.ly/1cB1ucW
• The Big Lottery Fund's 'Awards for All' awards
  grants of between 300 and 10,000
  http//bit.ly/10tjXTq
• The 'Community First' Programme
  http//bit.ly/AhqTFE
• Local initiatives such as
• Quartet Community Foundation (West)
  http//bit.ly/eef9Ji
• Leeds Community Foundation http//bit.ly/1a4dDFk
• Tenants of Liverpool Mutual Homes
  http//bit.ly/13zRPdr
• Telegraph Argus grants in Bradford
  http//bit.ly/1c2ETpb
• Broadland District Council http//bit.ly/1cBiYpz
• Leicestershire County Council http//bit.ly/15DJrc
  n

• Non-grant funding opportunities
• Local fundraising events
• Donations from local business, retailers and
  landowners (Uppingham and Thame have both
  benefitted from donations)
• We are seeing an increasing number of local
  authorities passing on some of the new burdens
  funding they receive to the community level, such
  as Wychavon District Council and Bassetlaw
  District Council http//bit.ly/1cBjmUP

• Additional opportunities
• Parish Councils can consider whether they may
  wish to raise the parish precept
• Some local authorities such as Exeter and Bristol
  are looking into how the New Homes Bonus/local
  business rates might help support neighbourhood
  planning in more deprived areas.

Do you know more? Why not tell people on twitter
using neighbourhood planning, start a discussion
on the neighbourhood planning LinkedIn group, or
send us details to include in our notes on
neighbourhood planning newsletter.

• Information collected informally from
  conversations with neighbourhood planning groups