Town and parish councils across Babergh and Mid Suffolk are set to receive more than £1.2m in developer contributions to help community infrastructure keep pace with housing growth.

Developers building homes within the districts are charged a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which the councils then reinvest in neighbourhoods via their towns and parish councils.

Of the £1.2m funding, 44 town and parish councils in Mid Suffolk will receive a share of a £592k Neighbourhood CIL payout, with 20 of Babergh's town and parishes receiving a portion of £677K. 

The town and parish councils can then decide how to spend this money to best support the development of their local area and meets the needs of its community – with higher amounts paid to those with successful adopted Neighbourhood Plans.

Cllr Sallie Davies, Babergh District Council's cabinet member for Planning, said: "I am really pleased to see the next round of neighbourhood CIL funding has been delivered to our town and parish councils and I look forward to seeing what this funding is able to deliver to our local communities."

This round of neighbourhood CIL funding is in addition to the £14 million CIL funding which has been allocated to fund specific Infrastructure projects in both districts since 2018 through the CIL Bid Rounds.

The latest bid round for communities wishing to benefit from future CIL funding is now open until Friday 31 May. Successful bids will receive their funding decision in Autumn 2024, subject to approval by Cabinet.

Further information about how CIL works can be found on the council's website Community Infrastructure Levy - Babergh District Council - Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils - Working Together.