Apply for a community grant

The Council is aware that Town & Parish Councils and community groups have struggled to obtain funding to undertake community projects in recent years. This has had a negative impact on those communities and the services they are able to access.

Communities & Place is one of the three overarching focuses of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has provided funding with the purpose of supporting ‘Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Communities’ and ‘Thriving Places’.

To ensure that this funding reaches these communities and is community-led, the Council has created a Community Grants Fund (CGF). The CGF allows Town & Parish Councils and incorporated community organisations to apply for funding for community projects in their locality.

The Community Grants Fund is open to all Town & Parish Councils within the borough of Tunbridge Wells.

The scheme is also open to incorporated community organisations who are registered in and have a physical address in the borough. Community organisations will be asked to outline their ‘community credentials’ and can be for example a charity or not-for-profit.

Please note that the grants are discretionary and subject to the availability of funds – once all the funding has been allocated, this programme will close.

Town and Parish Councils and community organisations can apply for a grant of up to £5,000 towards a community project within their locality.

In order to apply, you must complete and return the application form (attached and also available on request via business@tunbridgewells.gov.uk).

Please note that grant availability is subject to limited resources for a limited period of time only. Grant applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Apply online

The following projects will generally be considered as eligible for support:

• The creation, renovation or expansion of community facilities
• The creation, renovation or expansion of cultural, tourist or heritage assets
• Community streetscene projects
• Projects to improve green spaces
• Projects that provide training to the local community

Not all community projects will be eligible for a grant through this scheme. The grant will only fund ‘eligible projects’. The scheme will generally not fund the following:

• Project not covered in the above list
• Existing projects that completed before the launch of the Community Grants Programme
• Projects outside of Tunbridge Wells borough
• Projects that cannot reasonably select both an output and outcome from the table in the Application Form.

Please note, allocated funding cannot be used to cover VAT

Your project will likely require planning permission if it includes:

• building something new
• making a major change to your building, such as building an extension
• changing the use of your building
• The building is listed or is within a conservation area

If your project is looking to undertake works to build or renovate a building a separate planning application and scale drawings prepared by a professional agent will be required to show the extent of all new work. If you are using a professional agent, they will be able to advise you about any statutory consent that is required.

If you would like to discuss whether your proposals require planning approval, please contact the Council’s Planning Department via email on planning@tunbridgewells.gov.uk. For more information, go to our Planning page.

If you are undertaking works to a building as part of your project, you will need to check that the works conform to building regulations. Building regulations ensure that a premises satisfies its functional requirements and provides reasonable health and safety for people who use it.

You will be required to submit an application to building regulations if your project includes works that relate to:

• The construction, extension of renovation of a building
• Changes in the use of a building
• Internal alterations
• Alterations to controlled services or fittings
• Insulation, plumbing, drainage, heating & electrical connections

For more information, go to our Building control page.

The Equality Act requires that reasonable provision is made to enable access for all to premises including community buildings. If alterations are being carried out to a community building, the opportunity to improve access and safety should be considered. Enforcing or funding compliance with the Equality Act is not the responsibility of the Council.

Because of the limited funding available, applications will be assessed by a Grants Panel that will consider whether the application:

• Complies with the eligibility criteria of the UKSPF
• Whether your output and outcome are deliverable in relation to your project
• Will make a significant positive impact on the local area
• Is sympathetic to and in-keeping with the local built environment and will improve the look of the building in line with the look and feel of the area
• Offers value for money
• (If applicable) Guarantees that work will be carried out to a high standard and by a registered contractor
• Is in a prominent location
• Is located within the borough of Tunbridge Wells

In order to consider your application, we require the following:

• Completed application form – this contains basic information about your proposals
• Project schedule – timescales with milestones for the completion of your project
• Full details of the various aspects of your project that you intend to fund
• An evaluation of risks and the mitigations in place to reduce them
• Details of how you will monitor and report on the scheme
  *Details of the management structures in place to deliver the scheme

If undertaking building works, the additional will be required:

• Photographs showing current condition of the premises.
• Sketch drawings – depending on the extent of the proposed works, drawings will be required showing your proposals.
• Proof of ownership/lease – if you do not own the property, you will need to have permission from the owner to carry out the works. The building owner must provide a letter of consent to go with your application to show that they have given permission for the works to be carried out.
• Cost estimates including quotes and fees
• Evidence that you have obtained three quotes from contractors, you should state which of the three contractors you would like to employ and why.
• The following information must be obtained in each quote:
  • A breakdown of individual cost of each element of the scheme
  • Total price of the whole scheme (remember to also include project support costs and VAT as separate items as well as any ineligible works) for the purpose of grant calculation and monitoring.
  • A programme of works from the contractor.

  Please note that any grant offer would usually be based on the lowest quotation received.

• VAT Declaration.
• Where applicable, confirmation that you are up to date with your Business Rates payments.

We will try and make a decision on your application within 1 month of receiving a fully complete application. If subject to any statutory approvals and these have not been granted by the time a decision on your grant application is made, then any offer will be conditional on ultimately securing the required permissions.

If your application is submitted without all of the necessary information, then it will take longer for a decision to be reached.

Applications will be considered by a panel made up of Council Officers and the Cabinet members for (a) Housing and Communities and (b) Economic Development.

The grant scheme will be administered by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

All grant offers will be made in writing. Full details of the conditions that apply to the grant will be set out in the grant offer letter.

All grants will be conditional on you securing appropriate planning consent.

The scheme operates independently of the planning process and as such securing planning permission does not imply in any way that a grant application will be approved.

If you are undertaking any grant-funded building works as part of your project, you will be required to maintain the property to a satisfactory standard for a minimum of three years.

Grant contribution payments will be made retrospectively and as such only on production of invoices from contractors showing a detailed breakdown of costs and after all works are completed.

In extraordinary circumstances, grants may be paid up-front.

You will need to comply with all statutory requirements and permissions that apply to your project. If this relates to any permissions from the council, please refer to the relevant web pages for information on Planning, Building Regulations, Licensing and Food Safety.

1. Formal Grant Offer letter issued
2. Make building regulations application and other consents, if necessary.
3. Work starts on site
4. Works complete, submit grant claim form and invoices
5. Checks made to see if works have been completed and invoices verified. Council Officer approves the works.
6. Grant Paid.

All applicants accepting grant offers from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for the Tunbridge Wells UKSPF Community Grants Fund will be required to abide by and agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. The approval or refusal of a grant is at the absolute discretion of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (‘the Council’) and there will be no right to appeal process.
2. Grants will not be given for expenditure incurred prior to the grant offer being made and the contract signed.
3. The grant is not payable to an un-discharged bankrupt.
4. The grant must be used for the purpose intended as outlined in the Grant Offer Letter (this will be supported by producing original invoices for the grant claim).
5. In the case of tenants, payment of grant requires the building owner’s approval and providing proof of a minimum of a three year lease for the building.
6. If the building is sold within 12 months of the completion of the project, the applicant must notify the Council within 14 days and in such circumstances The Council may require the applicant(s) to repay, in whole or part of, the grant paid.
7. If the applicant is registered for VAT this must be declared on the application form. If at any point the business/organisation becomes VAT registered, the applicant must inform The Council and discuss repayment of VAT expenses claimed.
8. Where the project involves building works, the grant will only be paid to proposals which have been granted planning permission.
9. All works are to be undertaken strictly in accordance with the specification and project schedule agreed with the Council.
10. The Council’s written approval must be obtained in advance of any amendments to the approved specification and project schedule. Amendments include the omission or variation of the agreed project and the execution of additional works/undertakings. Failure to comply with this condition may invalidate the grant offer even if the additional work/undertaking is not grant aided.
11. If the project involves building work, representatives of the Council must be allowed access to the property to carry out interim inspections of the works in progress, by appointment at any reasonable time.
12. There is no obligation on the Council to increase the grant if the costs of works increases, or if any additional work is undertaken.
13. A proportional reduction will be made in the grant if the actual cost of the eligible work proves to be less than estimated. Payment will be made in arrears upon the production of the grant claim form along with supporting documentation (e.g. paid invoices)
14. The grant will only be paid against proposals which have been granted planning permission – if required. Nothing in the agreement or negotiation of the grant will affect the Council’s decision over planning permission.
15. The applicant must inform the Council of any changes to the business/organisation or changes of business address and/or telephone number.
16. Where the project involves building work, the grant is made on the condition that the property will be maintained to a satisfactory standard for a minimum of three years.
17. Any grant must be taken up within the period stated in the Grant Offer Letter.
18. Payments of grants to successful applicants will be made in arrears, in one sum on the receipt by the Council of evidence that the applicant has incurred the expenditure. A supporting statement should show how the expenditure relates to the individual items in the approved schedule of works.
19. Expenditure must be incurred using a debit/credit card or cheque and evidenced through a bank statement. Payments of grants will not be made towards expenditure incurred using the payment method of cash.
20. Grants are dependent on applicants being required to complete the reporting documents as per UKSPF guidelines from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
21. The Council reserves the right to publish illustrations, photographs or other details of your project in promotional literature and other documents associated with Council grant schemes
22. Applicants will need to sign the contract within 14 days from the date offered otherwise the offer will be withdrawn.
23. If the applicant undertakes any work that, in the opinion of the Council, significantly alters or removes any elements of the grant aided work, the Council shall have the right to recover such proportion of the grant as it sees fit. This condition shall apply for a period of five years starting on the day on which the final grant payment is made.
24. Under s58(4) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, if any grant condition is contravened or not complied with, the Council reserves the right to recover the grant, or such part of it as the Council sees fit.