New scheme for Poole will help deliver over £1 million of benefits

The new scheme has been launched by Borough of Poole council.

Poole CIL Neighbourhood Portion fund is based on the Government’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a locally set planning charge on developments to help pay for the town’s infrastructure such as education, transport, health and community facilities.

This national framework allows 15% of CIL charges collected by a local authority to be set aside for local communities to come up with projects that meet local needs and deliver community benefits in their area where development has taken place.

Each local authority will establish their own scheme for allocating the 15% of CIL, known as the neighbourhood portion, and oversee projects to ensure they provide the benefits intended.

Community groups and businesses can now bid for funding during the first bidding round for the Poole CIL Neighbourhood money, which is open until 5pm on 31 October 2017.

Funding can be from a couple of hundred pounds to over £100,000, in exceptional circumstances, making a real difference in the community. The money could potentially help support:

• Improvements to open spaces
• Enhancements to play equipment in local areas
• Improvements to shopping areas
• Installation of public art
• Investment in community facilities
• Capital or revenue projects such as operation or maintenance of infrastructure.

Julian McLaughlin, head of growth and infrastructure, Borough of Poole, said, “We are delighted to launch this forward-thinking scheme and we hope local organisations will take advantage of the funding available. We would encourage groups to discuss their ideas with council officers and their Ward Councillors to help shape their bids before submission. There’s currently over £1 million available to support a range of projects both large or small making a real difference to people and their community.”

Bids can continue to be submitted once the bidding round closes on 31 October, but these will not be considered until the next bidding round, which closes on 30 April 2018.