Money collected from developers sees £1.6 million injection of cash for local projects

A new way of awarding money raised from developers to support community projects has seen a £1.6 million injection of funding in 42 schemes across the borough over the past two years.

The borough’s parks and open spaces have benefitted from more than £600,000 of investment, while more than £250,000 has been poured into biodiversity projects. Community projects including community churches, libraries and outdoor activities have received over £250,000 of funding, and more than £190,000 has been used to support disability projects and work with under-represented groups. Over £10,000 has also been invested in public art projects.

The Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) is a charge councils collect from developers who commence certain types of developments. It is unique in that the money raised is awarded to the areas where specific developments are taking place - a system designed so that developers pay directly back into the community.

Kingston Council introduced a new NCIL bidding and awards process in 2022 to encourage bids from a wider variety of projects.

The next round of NCIL funding is now open for expressions of interest until 16 October 2024. Information on NCIL, and guidance on the bidding process can be found on the Kingston Let’s Talk website.