Grant funding available for community projects in Chelmsford

Community organisations in Chelmsford are being encouraged to apply for funding for infrastructure and environmental projects which help improve local facilities for residents. 

There are two schemes currently accepting applications: the Greener Chelmsford Grant and the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Grant. The schemes fund different types of projects, and each have their own eligibility criteria. Applications for grants up to £10,000 are preferred but applications in excess of this can be considered. 

Greener Chelmsford Grant

The Greener Chelmsford Grant is available for projects that address the climate and ecological emergency in Chelmsford. The fund is looking to support projects that demonstrate a long-term positive climate and ecological impact and improve green infrastructure in Chelmsford.  

Funding applications should support one or more of the four themes: 

• Protecting and enhancing wildlife 
• Lowering energy consumption 
• Reducing waste 
• Lowering carbon emissions  

There’s currently around £46,000 of funding left to allocate as the fund has been topped up by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund this year. 

In the last round of funding, the Wilderness Foundation received a Greener Chelmsford Grant to support their Down To Earth community garden and allotment in Melbourne. The project helps participants build connections to nature through therapeutic horticulture and learn new skills to benefit their physical and mental health. The Melbourne site boasts outdoor therapy areas and bird hides alongside raised flower beds and polytunnels for growing flowers and vegetables. The grant helped fund the installation of solar panels at the allotment site so the team can now sustainably charge their lawn mower batteries.  

Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Grant 

The Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Grant offers funding for community-focused capital projects, meaning the money must be spent on buying or improving assets such as buildings or equipment.  

The money for this grant comes from a levy placed on developers by the council so it must be spent in the areas of Chelmsford where developments have been built. In parished areas, the CIL funding is paid directly to parish councils who decide how best to spend it. In unparished areas, a proportion of the funding is offered as grants which must be spent on projects based in the appropriate wards. There’s approximately £130,000 left in the funding pot for unparished areas and projects in Goat Hall, Marconi, Moulsham and Central, Moulsham Lodge, Patching Hall, St Andrews, The Lawns, Trinity and Waterhouse Farm wards.

The funding awarded to St John's Church in Moulsham contributed to the creation of The Green Space, a community garden in the church yard.

Last year, the Green Space project at St Johns Church on Moulsham Street benefitted from Neighbourhood CIL Grant funding. The money helped to fund an ambitious plan to landscape the church yard, turning it onto a green oasis for the community to enjoy. Works included laying accessible paths across the area, creating a quiet garden and heritage trail and building community vegetable beds to plant and harvest seasonal produce. 

Applying for a grant

The schemes are open to applications all year round. To read the full eligibility criteria for each grant, visit the community funding scheme webpage on the council’s website. If you have any queries relating to the criteria or grants policy, you can contact the Grants team who will be happy to help.  

Groups that would like to apply for the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Grant can check which ward their project is in by visiting the ‘myhome’ area of the council’s website where you can search by street name or postcode.