PARISH and town councils across the Malvern Hills district will soon be able to apply for grants of up to £10,000 to cover the costs of preparing a Neighbourhood Plan, writes Andres De Miguel.
The funding is provided by the Malvern Hills District Council and is intended to help pay for preparing or reviewing the documents.
Town and parish councils can use the cash in several ways, including to hire a professional planning consultant, develop a website and train council members.
The grants were initially withdrawn as part of the Government’s June 2025 Spending Review but was later reinstated in November of the same year.
David Harrison, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Flooding at Malvern Hills District Council welcomed the grants’ reinstatement and the support they provided.
He said: “The removal of the Government funding would mean councils would need to raise up to £10,000 themselves.
“By continuing to provide funding, it shows our commitment to empowering residents and promoting community-backed development.”
He urged parish and town councils to apply for what was ‘a great opportunity’.
Parish and town councils can apply for the grant by submitting an expression of interest form at: malvernhills.gov.uk/neighbourhood-planning under ‘Funding available for Neighbourhood Planning’.
