Great ideas and projects that support the development of the area can apply for Neighbourhood CIL funding from Portsmouth City Council. In the 2021/22 financial year around 40 projects around the city benefited from Neighbourhood CIL expenditure to the total of £447,084. Community projects from greening spaces, community hall refurbishments and outdoor art have received funding.
Projects such as an augmented reality street mural at the entrance to Victoria Park opposite Portsmouth & Southsea station in Commercial Road have benefited. This project, organised by Portsmouth Creates, was awarded £6,820. The finished artwork used Airlite paint, a pollution eating paint which has been proved to improve air quality in places including Mexico City, Italy and Amsterdam.
The urban areas of Southampton Road in Cosham and Church Street in Buckland were planted with trees, shrubs and plants to help combat air and noise pollution, offsetting some of the carbon emissions and lower ambient temperatures that would otherwise contribute to climate change. The Southampton Road project received £15,000 and Church Street received £10,418.
Christ Church in Portsdown was awarded £21,000 to replace the floor of their community hall. This community space offers a range of activities for families and adult groups from classes and play schemes. Since the refurbishment, the community hall was completed, there has been an increase in local groups using the hall.
Cllr Lee Hunt Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development said “I am delighted that such a range of community projects have benefited from Neighbourhood CIL funding. It is important to remind communities that there is funding for local projects that can support the areas where we live. In the area I help represent we were also pleased to use CIL to fund Friends of The Earth greening of the planter opposite Derby Road Post Office in North End.”
The CIL Neighbourhood Fund comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy fund (CIL), which allows local authorities to raise funds from developers who are undertaking new building projects in their area. Projects that have received funding have demonstrated that there is community support for the project and are accessible to all sectors of the community.
For more information visit portsmouth.gov.uk/CIL or email CIL@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
