Parish and Hinckley community initiative fund

When should I apply?

A grant application must be made and approved in advance of any work being carried out. Applications will only be considered by the assessment panel where works have not commenced prior to submission. Should works begin on the scheme after submission; this is at the risk of the applicant as funding cannot be guaranteed. If works do start, then photographs will be required as evidence. 

All applications for 2024 must be received by 12 January 2024. They must contain all the information necessary for your application to be assessed. 

Who can apply?

Any parish/town council or formally constituted community group with a bank account that are based within a parish of the borough of Hinckley and Bosworth or Hinckley town.

What schemes will be funded?

To reflect the council's commitment to address the climate emergency and in line with its climate change and biodiversity strategy, projects which reduce carbon emissions or improve biodiversity will be given priority when allocating funding. Projects will be prioritised in the following order:

1. Climate change/carbon reduction projects and conservation/biodiversity projects
2. Play area improvements and community building projects
3. Sports and fitness projects, footpaths, trails and historic features
4. Landscaping projects and improvements to places of worship
5. Others (schemes that meet the essential criteria but don't fall into any of the above categories)

For priority 1 projects, examples of climate change/carbon reduction type projects would be:

• Reducing - Electric vehicle car clubs and charge points, building insulation, air and ground source heat pumps and solar (PV) panels. Note: gas and oil boilers and appliances will no longer be funded
• Offsetting - Tree planting (including land purchase for woodland creation) wildflower and native bulb planting, generating renewable energy
• Mitigating - Shading, flood water management/permeable hard landscaping, grey water harvesting, green roofs, biodiversity improvements such as new wildflower meadows/ponds which help nature adapt to climate impacts

Feasibility studies for priority 1 projects will also be included retrospectively for funding. For example, where a green heating scheme has been designed for retrofit into a community building. If the scheme then applies for funding to the Parish and Community Initiative Fund (PCIF), the value of the feasibility study can be included as a cost and therefore 50% of costs can be funded. This only applies where schemes are implemented, and only applies for climate change projects.

What grants are available?

The minimum total project costs for this scheme is £5,000 and grants cannot exceed 50% of the total project costs. The maximum grant available for each project within a parish area is £12,000. Exceptions will be made for large scale schemes which are priority 1 where a grant of up to £20,000 can be awarded. For a project in Hinckley town area, a maximum grant of £10,000 is available.

Where there is more than one scheme in a parish or town, which may be eligible for funding, a separate application should be submitted for each scheme. Each scheme will be assessed separately.

Grants can cover up to 50% of the cost of the approved works and are only available to fund items of capital expenditure. This means grants can only be awarded for capital items, which will have a lasting benefit, but not revenue items that will last for less than a year. For example, maintenance work, telephone and electricity bills, spring bedding plants, catering or similar. The grant awarded will not exceed the amount of capital work within an application. If your scheme includes revenue expenditure you should include these items in your application, but these must only relate to the scheme, and not include the regular costs of the organisation.

How will the application be assessed?

Applications will be assessed by council officers to firstly determine if they meet the seven essential criteria of the scheme, and then if these essential criteria are met, an objective scoring scheme is used to assess and prioritise applications. See section on assessment criteria for more details.

All schemes are then considered by an officer panel, and recommendations presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (cross-party group of councillors) for consideration and endorsement, and then to the Strategic Leadership Team (council's senior managers) for approval.

How will payment be made?

You should notify the Green Space Team by completing our Green Spaces contact form or by letter when the work is complete and include copies of all invoices. Payment will be made following a site inspection and approval of the work. Payment cannot be made until the scheme is complete and phased payments are not possible.

Is there help available in preparing the application?

You may discuss your proposals with an officer from Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council (HBBC) before submitting an application. Officers will be happy to give verbal advice and, if necessary, meet you to discuss the development of your scheme. However, the canvassing of officers may result in your application being returned.

For advice, contact Paul Scragg, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, The Jubilee Building, Unit B, Fleming Road Hinckley, Leicestershire LE10 3DU. Tel: 01455 255983.

Rural Community Council

The Rural Community Council for Leicestershire is located in Hinckley and is available to assist you with your application. Please contact them on 01455 856330 or email info@ruralcc.org.uk if you require any advice or help.

What conditions apply to the parish and Hinckley community initiative funds?

The following conditions apply:

Financial:

• Grants can cover up to 50% of the cost of the approved project and are only available to fund items of capital expenditure. The grant awarded will not exceed the amount of capital work within an application
• Grants will only be paid upon completion of the scheme and receipt of copies of invoices totalling double the amount of the grant awarded
• Grants will only be paid in full (no part payments) and only to the applicant (no payment of invoices on behalf of the applicant). Applicants should make sure they have the resources in place to complete each phase of the scheme as HBBC will be unable to make payment until the final scheme has been inspected
• Where an applicant is VAT registered, VAT will not be paid
• The applicant must be able to provide the balance of the money for the works from their own funds and / or other grant schemes
• Where a scheme costs less than originally estimated, the amount of grant paid will be reduced accordingly
• All grants must be claimed in full by the end of February 2025
• For schemes costing up to £20,000, two written quotations, estimates or tenders must be provided. Schemes over £20,000 must have three written quotations, estimates or tenders. These must be fully itemised, and your application will be returned if they are not enclosed
• Please note if a scheme is broken down into separate areas. For example, £8,000 groundwork and £11,000 window installation - two quotes are required for each part of the project. Please ensure the relevant number of quotes are obtained for each part of the scheme
• Grants can be used to 'top-up' grants received from other organisations, provided this does not lead to double funding or the scheme making a profit. Details of other grant application must be provided within the application form
• Where the scheme involves land purchase, a copy of a valuation from the District Valuer must support your application

Applicants:

• The applicant must be a formally constituted community organisation with a bank account, charity or parish/town council

Site: 

• The site must be within the administrative borough of Hinckley and Bosworth
• A plan clearly showing the location of the works must be submitted with the application
• The project must provide public access at all reasonable times
• The site must not be located in a private garden

Permission required:

• Where the site does not belong to the applicant (including any land/buildings that are subject to a lease agreement) the applicant must complete and return the landowner permission form, showing agreement with the landowner for the project to proceed and for access to the land for a minimum of 10 years
• The work should not be required either as part of a condition of planning permission or as a legal agreement associated with planning permission
• All permission necessary to enable the work to go ahead must have been obtained from the relevant authorities before a grant can be offered. These might include planning permission, conservation area consent, listed building consent, appropriate ecclesiastical permission, tree preservation order consent and the obtaining of a felling licence, or the approval of English Heritage or the Environment Agency. Details of these permissions and copies of the relevant documentation must be enclosed
• Where the works are close to the highway, the proposals must be agreed with Leicestershire County Council’s Highways Department (Tel: 0116 3050001) before a grant can be offered
• The project should not include proposals for the removal of any hedgerow unless you have prior consent
• If your proposed works are within or close to a flood plain or an existing watercourse, they must be approved by the Environment Agency (Tel: 03708 506 506) before applying
• If your proposed works are within or close to a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), Natural England must approve them
• Statutory undertakers such as the electricity, cable, gas and water companies should be consulted where any proposed works are in proximity to their services

Maintenance:

• Grant assisted works must be maintained in good order for at least 10 years following implementation. They may be spot checked and if not adequately maintained then the grant may be reclaimed
• Details of the proposed maintenance programme for the completed project must be included in the application
• All play areas/equipment must have a post-installation inspection by a RPII (register of play inspectors international) qualified inspector

Design:

• The use of peat or peat-based products is not acceptable
• Play equipment must conform to the BS EN 1176 and 1177. It is strongly recommended you seek advice from a specialist play area designer or play equipment manufacturer about your choice of equipment, its location, impact absorbing surfacing and any protective fencing that may be required
• Schemes should be so designed to ensure access is available for all abilities. This includes compliance with the disability discrimination act and other equal opportunities legislation
• Schemes should ensure they consider the needs of everyone in the community including seldom heard groups. The council may request the completion of an equalities impact assessment before payment of the grant
• Planting schemes comprising trees, shrubs or hedges should be carefully designed to take into consideration site conditions and long-term maintenance

Promotion:

• Successful grant applicants must arrange a media opportunity on completion of the project to promote the scheme

Last updated: 06/10/2023 10:21