Town and parish councils lead and resource the preparation of a neighbourhood plan or order and the associated public consultation. External funding and support is available to do this, in addition to the support and advice offered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has committed to making £23 million between 2018 and 2022 to provide community groups with expert advice, grant funding and technical assistance for neighbourhood planning. The programme is being delivered by Locality, a national network of community-led organisations, on behalf of MHCLG.
Town and parish councils demonstrating a need for grant support will be eligible to apply for up to £9,000 in a basic grant. This money could cover developing a website, training sessions for members of the steering group, help with putting together a project plan, undertaking a household survey, help with developing the evidence base, engaging a planning expert and venue hire, publicity materials, printing and other costs associated with consultation. More complex neighbourhood plans and orders may be eligible for additional grant funding of up to £8,000 and access to a variety of additional technical support packages.
This funding is confirmed to April 2022 and further information, including details on how to apply, is available here:
Neighbourhood Planning website (external website)
Other sources of funding
Awards for All provides small lottery grants of between £300 and £10,000. They fund a wide range of community projects and have previously provided funds for town and parish councils in the East Riding.
Further information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply for this funding is available here:
Big Lottery Fund website (external website)
Town and parish councils may also wish to contact the funding team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council for support on grants and funding within the community sector.