Residents can now bid for NCIL money at any time. Brompton and Hans Town holds £1.12m, Golborne just £8,625. See your ward's total and how to apply.
Residents and community groups in Kensington and Chelsea can now apply for neighbourhood funding at any time of year. The money is the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy, or NCIL. It comes from certain new developments and pays for things like cycle hangars, benches, safer crossings and Christmas lights.
Until now, bids could only go in during two six-week windows. The council announced the change on Monday 14 September, and the application portal reopened the next day.
What the announcement leaves out is how uneven the money is. The council’s NCIL page lists £3.16m available as of September 2026, split by ward. Two wards hold most of it.
How much is in your ward
These are the council’s own figures, from its NCIL page:
| Ward | NCIL available |
|---|---|
| Brompton and Hans Town | £1,116,476 |
| Abingdon | £760,930 |
| Holland | £297,214 |
| Pembridge | £202,071 |
| Norland | £136,049 |
| Queen’s Gate | £112,432 |
| Dalgarno | £80,425 |
| Courtfield | £80,022 |
| Colville | £70,204 |
| Campden | £64,995 |
| Royal Hospital | £43,794 |
| Stanley | £36,977 |
| Chelsea Riverside | £27,830 |
| Redcliffe | £27,192 |
| Earl’s Court | £25,782 |
| Notting Dale | £23,680 |
| St Helen’s | £11,831 |
| Golborne | £8,625 |
The Norland Neighbourhood Plan Area has a separate £39,088. The St Quintin Neighbourhood Plan Area has £0. The 18 wards and the Norland area add up to £3,165,617, which matches the council’s £3.16m.
Brompton and Hans Town and Abingdon together hold £1,877,406. That is 59% of everything available.
At the other end, three North Kensington wards (Golborne, St Helen’s and Notting Dale) have £44,136 between them. Golborne’s £8,625 would pay for one cycle hangar at the council’s own estimate, but not two.
The council explains why: the money “comes from development which is not distributed evenly across the Borough”. Wards where a lot has been built hold more. Ward councillors decide which projects get funded.
What things cost
The council publishes estimated costs for common projects. It says final costs may be slightly different.
| Project | Estimated cost |
|---|---|
| Cycle hangar | £5,100 per hangar |
| Speed indicator device | £7,000 per device |
| Air quality sensor | £6,000 per sensor, for two years |
| Public CCTV | £13,000 |
| York stone on the council highway | £3,000 per 10 sq m |
| Bench on the public highway | £2,900 per bench |
| Bench in a park | £1,275 per bench |
The council says more than 250 projects have been funded since 2021.
When you will hear back
Applications are open all year, but decisions are not. The NCIL page says decisions are made twice a year, in June and December.
The next round is June 2027. To be in it, an application must arrive by 11.59pm on 31 January 2027. So an idea submitted this week will not be decided for about nine months.
What gets rejected
The council’s assessment criteria set out pass or fail tests. An application fails if:
- the project is outside the borough
- it benefits individuals, such as the freeholder of a block of flats or a shop
- it benefits a profit-making or commercial organisation
- it is on private land
- the ward does not hold enough NCIL, unless another ward has agreed to cover the shortfall
- it would need ongoing revenue funding from the council
- it lacks the permissions it needs, including support from TfL for anything on a red route
Projects that pass are then scored on the project itself and on evidence of community support. The highest scorers go to ward councillors.
Cllr Johnny Thalassites, Lead Member for Resident Services, Planning and Enforcement, said:
“Residents know their areas best, and we want to help turn their good ideas into practical improvements that everyone can enjoy.”
What it means for you
If you have an idea for your street or park, check your ward’s total first. A £13,000 CCTV bid cannot pass in Golborne without another ward agreeing to contribute.
To apply you will need:
- the project’s location, drawings and a description
- three quotes, if a third party will deliver it
- costings from the council, if the council will deliver it
- landowner permission and any licences needed
- evidence of community support
You can apply using the online form, or download the form and send it by email or post. The NCIL team is on 020 7361 3012.
Council officers will run drop-in sessions at Kensington Central Library, Chelsea Library and North Kensington Library. No booking is needed. The dates and times had not been published when we checked on 17 September.
For other planning news in the borough, see our Kensington planning news page.
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