Apply for a project to be considered for CIL money​

Complete an expression of interest form

A stakeholder can apply, at any time, for a project to be included on the CIL infrastructure list.  

For details of this list, please see our CIL guidance page. 

Pre-application criteria

Applicants are advised to consider the following information before completing the Expression of Interest form:

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for CIL funding a project must satisfy the criteria below:

  • be necessary to support local growth
  • be accompanied by a financial contribution from the organisations submitting the application
  • be supported by match funding (see below)
  • the project must be deliverable within 3 to 5 years
  • if the project is highways or education related, the application must be accompanied by a letter of support from the relevant Cambridgeshire County Council department 

Infrastructure criteria

Eligible projects will then be scored on their ability to meet the infrastructure criteria set out below:

  • does the project contribute to the delivery of the district council’s Corporate Plan
  • does the project deliver specific objectives and policies of the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan
  • is this project identified as a priority in the relevant Village Vision within the Local Plan
  • does the project deliver specific objectives and policies of the Cambridgeshire Local Transport Plan 2011 – 2031 (if applicable)
  • does the project deliver specific priorities of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Health and Wellbeing Integrated Strategy  

Extra points will be awarded for a good fit with the East Cambridgeshire Local Plan and the council’s Corporate Plan, which set out the council’s infrastructure priorities, based on proposed housing growth across the district and in consultation with local communities.

Deliverability and funding criteria

Proposed projects will be considered with regard to the following criteria:  

  • the ability of the applicant to deliver the expected benefits on time and within budget
  • level for financial commitment from the applicant organisation
  • the level of match funding that the project has secured

Bids are unlikely to be successful unless it can be reasonably demonstrated that there are no other funding mechanisms or streams available that could deliver the project being proposed.

Prioritisation based on need

The money collected from CIL can only be used to fund infrastructure projects in the area that are needed as a result of development. Prioritisation will be given to those projects based in the areas of highest levels of growth and with the most evidence of need. Ask yourself:

  • is this project necessary to support local growth
  • has the applicant provided evidence of need
  • has the application provided evidence of stakeholder support, where applicable
  • does the project offer wider as well as local benefits
  • does the project contribute towards the delivery of infrastructure by a provider (including Cambridgeshire County Council) where it can be satisfactorily demonstrated that the infrastructure would not otherwise be delivered; for example, that all other possible funding sources are insufficient

What CIL can and cannot fund

CIL regulations state that funds must be spent on ‘infrastructure necessary to support growth’.

The Planning Act 2008 provides a wide definition of infrastructure which can be funded by the levy, including (but not exclusively) transport, flood defences, schools, hospitals, other health care, social care, play areas, parks and green spaces, cultural and sports facilities, district heating schemes, police stations and other community safety facilities.

CIL can only be spent on capital projects, although associated revenue spending to maintain those capital items is also permissible.

It can be used to increase the capacity of existing infrastructure or to repair failing infrastructure if that is necessary to support development.

CIL cannot be used to fund solutions to existing problems, for example traffic calming/management or on repairs to existing infrastructure in an area that has not experienced housing growth.

After establishing that a project meets all the pre-application criteria, the stakeholder should submit a completed CIL Expression of Interest form to East Cambridgeshire District Council. 

CIL Expression of Interest

Once the Expression of Interest has been received, officers assess the application against the criteria.  

If the project meets the stated criteria and scores 50% or over, a recommendation will be made to Full Council that it is included on the CIL Infrastructure List.  

A decision on whether to approve the recommendation will be made at the next Full Council meeting.

If an application is unsuccessful, the applicant will be advised why and, if appropriate, whether they should consider re-applying at a different time.

Please note this process only applies to East Cambridgeshire District Council CIL funding and not parish councils’ ‘meaningful proportion’.  

Guidance for parish councils  

Guidance can be found on the CIL guidance page and the Neighbourhood CIL page.

The websites below offer local information and statistics which you may find useful when completing your application.

Below are also links to the documents referred to in the Expression of Interest form:

Potential sources of match funding

The Thalia WB Community Fund offers financial assistance to local not-for-profit organisations that deliver benefits to the general public, biodiversity or the environment, within a 10-mile radius of a landfill site.

The Biffa Award supports a wide range of community and environmental projects across the UK.

The Big Lottery Fund awards grants to UK organisations to help improve their communities.

Our Facilities Improvement Grant (FIG) offers funding to develop and improve village halls, community centres, sport and leisure centres, play facilities and public open spaces, protecting and enhancing the quality of life for residents within East Cambridgeshire.

FCC Communities Foundation is a not-for-profit business that helps benefit the lives of people who live close to landfill sites by awarding grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects. 

Useful contacts

The contacts below will be able to assist you with your application:

CIL Team

Email: cil@eastcambs.gov.uk 
Telephone: 01353 665555

Cambridgeshire County Council Education Team

Information on Cambridgeshire County Council Education Team
Telephone: 0345 045 5200

Cambridgeshire County Council Transport Team

Information on Cambridgeshire County Council Transport Team
Telephone: 0345 045 5200
Information on Local Transport Plan

Privacy notice

All your personal ​information will be held and used in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). For details of how we gather, define and use your information please see the East Cambridgeshire District Council Privacy Notice.