News
Neighbourhood Planning Funding confirmed for Local Authorities (2022/23)
Friday 1st July 2022
A letter from the Chief Planner, dated 30 June 2022, announces and confirms neighbourhood planning grant funding for Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) for this financial year (2022/2023).
In her letter, Joanna Averley acknowledges the vital role local authorities have in the neighbourhood planning process and explains that claims for funding include grants for where a made (adopted) neighbourhood plan has been modified through the additional provisions introduce in the Neighbourhood Planning Act 2017.
The money is intended to help LPAs meet their legislative duties in relation to neighbourhood planning, including to support and advise parish councils and neighbourhood forums ('qualifying bodies') and pay examination and referendum costs. There is entirely separate to the grant scheme (and technical support) available to qualifying bodies preparing neighbourhood plans, which is administrated by Locality
In summary, LPAs can claim:
- £20,000 for all areas where a neighbourhood plan has not previously been made, at the point at which they issue a decision statement to send a neighbourhood plan to referendum;
- £5,000 for the first 5 neighbourhood areas designated;
- £5,000 for the first 5 neighbourhood forums designated (including 5 yearly re-designations); and
- In Business Areas, £10,000 when they issue a decision statement to send a plan to referendum.
In relation to the modification of a made neighbourhood plan, sums vary according to the scale of the modifications proposed. Further details are also outlined around funding for Neighbourhood Development Orders (NDOs) and Community Right to Build Orders (CRtBOs).
You can read the Chief Planner's letter HERE