Nearly £900,000 is now available for community projects in Lewisham

By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter

Nearly £900,000 is now available for community projects in Lewisham after the council opened bids for borough-wide NCIL funding.  

Councils can apply a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to developers when they build in an area – the money is to mitigate the impact of development and goes towards improving local infrastructure.    

CIL rules allow the council to set aside 15 per cent of the funds – 25 per cent in areas with an adopted neighbourhood plan – to spend on priorities that should be agreed with the local community. This is known as Neighbourhood CIL.   

The community projects should be directed towards mentoring services for children and young people, tackling crime and anti-social behavior, employment and training support for people with disabilities and/or mental health needs, and recovery from Covid.  

The fund is for projects covering two or more wards or the entire borough, while grants are available for small, medium or large-scale projects of up to £100,000. 

Councillor Jonathan Slater, cabinet member for the community sector, said: “We are pleased to be able to start accepting bids for this money which will bring great benefits to our communities at a time when many could do with a boost after such a tough 15 months. 

“As long as a proposed project covers two wards or more, no idea will be too small for us to consider, so please think about how we might support your initiative.” 

Applications will run until July 25.