Published: Monday 30 May 2022
Residents and community groups can apply now to a £4.89m fund for projects in their neighbourhood in Kensington and Chelsea.
Projects should help improve your local area. Top priorities established through a consultation with the community came out as air quality, policing and emergency services, parks and open spaces, streetscape and community safety.
The funding comes from contributions received from 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 Community Infrastructure Levy.
Read the application guidelines and apply to fund your project on our application page.
Recent projects that were awarded funding include:
- High Street Kensington Christmas lights;
- Acoustic cameras in Brompton and Hans Town used to monitor noisy driving;
- Cycle Hangars across the borough;
- Pollinator Paradise and Community Shelter at Kensington Olympia Station Garden;
- Bio-diversity Bug Hunt workshops with Natural History Museum.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, Lead Member for Planning, Place Environment, said:
“Residents know best what their local communities need and we want to hear ideas for projects that help us meet our green ambitions to be a net zero borough and that make our streets even safer.
“The money has previously provided funding for more cycle parking, wildlife workshops, new trees and planters and acoustic cameras so we can take action against nuisance drivers. If you have an idea, please do apply now.”
Kensington Business Forum received NCIL funding to instal festive decorations on Kensington High Street during Christmas 2020 and 2021.
Tom Frost, Chair of the Forum’s Executive Committee, said:
“The funds were used at a time during the Covid pandemic where it was needed to lift the spirits of the local stakeholders in and around the High Street. We would absolutely encourage others to apply for the funding and have already recommended it to other groups across the borough.
“NCIL applications make a huge difference and coming together as a team, there is more likeliness of a project receiving funding and being implemented. I would remind anyone looking at placing an application that they should also consider the on-going maintenance of those projects and cost that in as well.”
The Council has redistributed NCIL funding received from wards where development has taken place so that all wards have access to some NCIL funds.
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.
Applications are open until 5 July 2022 and will be assessed against scoring 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 through an executive decision and arrangements for receipt of funding have been agreed. Our NCIL story map shows where funds are available in each ward. Here you can also find details of previous projects, their locations and funding allocations.