Neighbourhood Planning Grant for National Parks (2025/26)
National Parks authorities in England can now claim for costs they incur in meeting neighbourhood planning duties in 2025-26. This funding helps local planning authorities meet their legislative duties (introduced by the Localism Act 2011) in relation to neighbourhood planning. These duties are to provide advice or assistance; to hold an examination; and to make arrangements for a neighbourhood planning referendum. Claims should be submitted via the DELTA system.
- Opening date: (Midnight)
- Closing date: (Midnight)
Contents
Summary
National Parks Authorities in England can now claim for the costs they incur in meeting their neighbourhood planning duties in 2025-26. Local Planning Authorities in England have a separate grant that they are also able to apply for.
This funding helps National Parks, and Local Planning Authorities in England to meet their legislative duties (introduced by the Localism Act 2011) in relation to neighbourhood planning. These duties are to provide advice or assistance; to hold an examination; and to proceed to a neighbourhood planning referendum.
Claims should be submitted via the DELTA system. Link; https://delta.communities.gov.uk/login
As in the previous 2024-25 year, there will be a single continuously open claims window for 2025-26. The window for completing and certifying the claim form for authorities is open until Friday 6 March 2025.
All claims for funding must be completed and certified before this date.
Officers can now self-register on the DELTA payments and statistical returns handling system.
Link: https://delta.communities.gov.uk/register
If you are having difficulty with registering or need advice on who else from your organisation is already registered, please contact the DELTA team. Link: https://delta.communities.gov.uk/contact-us
Claims should relate to activities conducted during the current 2025-26 financial year and need to be certified by the Chief Executive (or acting Chief Executive) or the officer responsible for financial matters in accordance with section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972. Additional users can be designated as alternatives to the s.151 officer in cases of absence, illness, etc., allowing them to certify claims. This certification is required for the claim to be eligible for payment.
If you believe you have overlooked a claim from previous years that ought to be submitted, please contact the neighbourhood planning support team at NeighbourhoodPlans@communities.gov.uk. You also need to contact the DELTA team. Link: https://mhclgdigital.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/6/group/12
If your local planning authority has no claims for this financial year, users should still submit a ‘nil return’ and certify it. Where an authority considers it necessary to make amendments to claims it has already certified and submitted on the DELTA system, it will need to be flagged to DELTA and the neighbourhood planning support team to reopen and amend the claim.
Payments will be made for National Park Authorities under section 72 of the Environment Act 1995 and for Broads Authority under section 15 of the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads Act 1988 to the nominated bank account. Payments for Local Planning Authorities will be made under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003.
Any changes to bank or bank account details should be notified to MHCLG immediately by contacting the DELTA team. Link: https://mhclgdigital.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/6/group/12.
Eligibility
National Parks Authorities in England must have had verifiable neighbourhood planning activity take place within their area during the 2025-26 financial year. Neighbourhood Planning Grant claims will be able to be made for the following activities
£5,000 per neighbourhood planning area designation or re-designation, up to a maximum of 5 neighbourhood areas that are designated
£5,000 for each of the first 5 neighbourhood forums they designate, or redesignate after existing fora expire, up to a maximum of 5 neighbourhood fora that are designated.
£20,000 for a neighbourhood plan that has completed its independent examination, and the local planning authority has issued a decision statement detailing their intention to send the plan to referendum (as set out under Regulation 18 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012).
An additional £10,000 can be claimed by the local planning authority when they issue a decision statement detailing their intention to send the plan to referendum (as set out under Regulation 18 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012) where that referendum relates to a plan in a business area, which would have an additional referendum of local businesses.
If a Neighbourhood Development Order, or Community Right to Build Order has been created, Local Planning Authorities can claim £20,000 per NDO/CRTBO that has reached referendum stage. Claims are payable per 1 given neighbourhood planning area per year.
For plans that have already previously been made into law after a successful referendum:
A £10,000 payment can be claimed for a reviewed plan that has only required a new independent examination after amendments. Further updates to that specific neighbourhood plan will be restricted to one every 5 years.
A £20,000 payment can be claimed for a formerly made plan that has had significant alterations and updates that have required a fresh examination and new referendum because the nature of the plan has changed. Further updates to that specific neighbourhood plan will be restricted to one every 5 years.Where a business area has been successful at referendum, significant alterations and updates that have required a fresh examination and new referendum because the nature of the plan has changed, an additional £10,000 for a fresh business neighbourhood planning referendum is able to be claimed. Once such a claim is made, claims for further updates to that specific neighbourhood plan will be restricted to one every 5 years.
Objectives
This grant is intended to address the costs that arise when National Park Authorities in England carry out their statutory duties in assisting communities in their areas who are creating neighbourhood plans. Neighbourhood planning is not a legal requirement but a right which communities in England can choose to use. The Local Planning Authorities or National Parks in question would have an obligation to formally recognise the designation of the neighbourhood planning area, and in areas where there is no town or parish council boundary, to hold public consultations on the proposed designation including of its proposed boundary. This also applies to the proposed designation of a neighbourhood planning forum to carry out the creation of a neighbourhood plan in an area in England where there is no preexisting Town or Parish council.
A local planning or national park authority must:
- take decisions at key stages in the neighbourhood planning process within the time limits that apply. Details of time limits: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2#statutory-time-periods
- provide advice or assistance to a parish council, neighbourhood forum or community organisation that is producing a neighbourhood plan or Order as required by paragraph 3 of Schedule 4B to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended). Link: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/20/schedule/10/enacted.
A local planning or national park authority should:
- be proactive in providing information to communities about neighbourhood planning.
- fulfil its duties and take decisions as soon as possible, and within statutory time periods where these apply. Link to statutory time periods: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2#statutory-time-periods.
- set out a clear and transparent decision-making timetable and share this with those wishing to prepare a neighbourhood plan or an Order.
- constructively engage with the community throughout the process including when considering the recommendations of the independent examiner of a neighbourhood development plan or Order proposal
Further details on neighbourhood planning are available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2#what-is-neighbourhood-planning.
Dates
The claims window for National Park Authorities opened on 10th December 2025. It is scheduled to remain open until 6th March 2026 for claims relating to the 2025/26 financial year.
How to apply
Officials from eligible National Parks or Local Planning Authorities in England need to be registered on the DELTA claims and reporting system run by MHCLG.
Officers can now self-register on the DELTA payments and statistical returns handling system.
Link: https://delta.communities.gov.uk/register
If you are having difficulty with registering or need advice on who else from your organisation is already registered, please contact the DELTA team. Link: https://delta.communities.gov.uk/contact-us
The Chief Executive (or the acting Chief Executive) or the officer with responsibility for financial affairs under section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 of each authority must certify the cycle step data on the DELTA system. Please note that additional users can also be set up as alternatives to the S151 officer in the event of absence, sickness etc to be able to certify claims.Each local authority must have at least 2 registered users on the DELTA system. A ‘Data Provider’ will input details of the claim into the relevant window. This information should then be certified by the registered ‘Claims Certifier’, as noted above. When they log on to DELTA, the data provider may find more than one NPG form on their 'Collection Request'. To remove them, please enter a nil return on to the earlier forms, save, then notify your Claims Certifier to enable them to certify the form as a nil return
Supporting information
Link to 2025/26 Neighbourhood Planning Grant for LPAs and National Parks announcement:
Link to self-register on DELTA: https://delta.communities.gov.uk/register
Log in for DELTA for registered users:
https://delta.communities.gov.uk/loginBackground on Neighbourhood Planning: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/neighbourhood-planning--2#what-is-neighbourhood-planning