Grants available to help Chelmsford’s community

Today, Chelmsford City Council is launching two grants to help local community and voluntary groups to provide important infrastructure in the city’s urban areas and protect our threatened environment.

Funding for infrastructure in Chelmsford city centre

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grants provide capital funding for infrastructure to meet the demands placed on the Chelmsford urban area by development. This could be green infrastructure like sustainable energy, capital projects that provide social infrastructure, or built infrastructure like buildings and paths.

The funding for these grants comes from a levy placed on new developments by the council. This money is ringfenced and must be spent on infrastructure that the local community wants and needs.

Only projects based in certain areas of Chelmsford are eligible to apply: Marconi, Moulsham & Central, Waterhouse Farm, Goat Hall, Moulsham Lodge, St Andrews, Patching Hall, The Lawns and Trinity. This is because the funding comes from developments built in these areas. The City Council has a ‘find your ward‘ tool available if you aren’t sure which area of the city your project is based in.

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“Housing is desperately needed in this country to meet the need of the people – but we must ensure that infrastructure is delivered so that development doesn’t negatively affect existing residents’ way of life or create a burden on the city. These grants are one part of that work. If you’re part of a community group which has a brilliant idea to help the community in urban Chelmsford, please apply – we know that local people know best what is needed in their neighbourhoods.”

Councillor Marie Goldman, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Connected Chelmsford

Environmental funding to help make Chelmsford greener

New for 2021, the Greener Chelmsford Grants make £100,000 available for projects that address the climate and ecological emergency in Chelmsford.

Applications are more likely to be successful if they are for projects which protect and enhance wildlife and green infrastructure, lower energy consumption, reduce waste or lower carbon emissions. These are the priorities set out by the council for addressing climate change and ecological crises.

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“The Greener Chelmsford Grants are one of the many actions being taken by the city council to deal with the Climate and Ecological Emergency declared in 2019. Everybody in Chelmsford and beyond needs to play their part if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change and these grants recognise organisations which are putting great effort into doing their bit.”

Cllr Rose Moore, Cabinet Member for Greener and Safer Chelmsford

The Greener Chelmsford Grants are part of the city council’s ‘Love Your Chelmsford’ programme to care for the environment and counter climate change.

How to apply

The two grants are part of the Community Funding Scheme, which also includes discretionary funding for projects that help vulnerable people in Chelmsford. This third set of grants will open for applications in October.

The deadline for applications for the Greener Chelmsford Grants and the CIL Grants is 30 September. You can check the full criteria and apply online now via the Chelmsford City Council website.