Councillors and committees

Local Neighbourhood Fund

The Local Neighbourhood Fund (LNF) has replaced the Mayoral Neighbourhood Fund (MNF). It enables councillors to request spend in their wards that contribute to the priorities of the Council  Plan, and to alleviate need linked to it.

The fund can be used to award grants to voluntary and community sector organisations and to purchase goods and services.

All spend must be consistent with council policies, for example, sustainable greenspace management.

The funding is managed by Streetscene Services.

Organisations wishing to apply for the fund must be invited to do so by a councillor. Unsolicited requests will be rejected.

How does it work?

Each councillor will receive an annual allocation of the fund. Whilst these are individual allocations, councillors can work together to request spend. 

There are four in-year deadlines for spend:

  1. Mid October for Christmas
  2. Mid January for end of year
  3. Mid May for summer
  4. Mid August for Halloween/Bonfire Night

Spending will pause during pre-election periods (purdah) in the run up to full local elections only (excluding local by-elections).

Goods and services

  • When councillors want to purchase goods and services, they contact Streetscene Services, and should declare any interests.
  • Streetscene Services will complete an order form.
  • Eligibility checks are carried out and confirmed before approval is given.
  • Commercial Support Team make the purchases on Streetscene’s behalf.

Grants

  • When councillors find an organisation for grant funding, they give details to Streetscene Services and should declare any interests.
  • Streetscene Services send a request form to the organisation.
  • The organisation completes the form and returns it to the councillors. Councillors will review the application to make sure it matches expectations.
  • Due diligence is carried out by Grants and Performance Team.
  • Decisions are made by the Director of Environmental Services, or other officers to whom the Director has delegated this authority to.

Eligibility criteria

The following are eligible for a Local Neighbourhood Fund grant:

  • Voluntary and community sector organisations (registered charities and other organisations such as associations and community groups), social enterprises, mutuals and co-operatives.
  • Schools
  • Children's Centres
  • Other publicly funded services providing it is for a community project.

Housing associations, individuals, political groups, private businesses and profit making organisations are not eligible for the fund.

Councillor interests

Councillors have many different roles within the community which may include, for example, acting as a school governor; volunteering as a trustee of a local charity; or being appointed as a director of a management board member for a local community organisation.

Following new advice given to councillors by the Monitoring Officers in November 2024, so long as roles are unpaid and are registered in the councillor Register of Interests, and the interest is not prejudicial, then the councillor may request spend.

If a councillor has a pecuniary interest in any organisation or supplier, then they must seek the advice of the Monitoring Officers before making any request. Monitoring officer approval must be given to allow any recommendation to move forward. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Full details of how personal, prejudicial and pecuniary interests please see our guidance document below.

Monitoring

At the end of the funding or project, we will ask organisations to complete a monitoring form.

It will ask what activities the grant funded, and the impact they had on residents and neighbourhoods. You will also need to confirm its social value in terms of staffing and sustainability.

You must submit the form within a month of the project end date.

Guidance 

For full details of the Local Neighbourhood Fund, please read the guidance below.

  • Local Neighbourhood Fund (LNF) guidance

    Download this document: Local Neighbourhood Fund (LNF) guidance (PDF: 225 KB)

    This document sets out how the Local Neighbourhood Fund will run from 15th September 2023 onwards. It is intended to supply guidance for councillors, officers and organisations invited by councillors to send a grant request form.

    First published: 15/09/2023

  • Appendix A - Other support and good practice

    Download this document: Appendix A - Other support and good practice (PDF: 87 KB)

    Extra guidance about support available for residents and some evidence-based ideas of how councillors could choose to utilise the Local Neighbourhood Fund.

    First published: 15/09/2023

  • Appendix B - Due Diligence

    Download this document: Appendix B - Due Diligence (PDF: 68 KB)

    This document highlights the due diligence checks that will be carried out by the Grants and Performance Team, from 15th September 2023.

    First published: 15/09/2023

Local Neighbourhood Fund expenditure

The following data is published quarterly.

Historic Grant Awards

The spreadsheets below show which grants were previously awarded under the old Mayoral Neighbourhood Fund, prior to 15th September 2023. This does not include goods and services purchased.

Information relating to payments of invoices for goods and services worth more than £500 are published separately on the council's transparency in local government pages.