Groundwork NI: Whitemountain Programme

Overview

The objective of the Whitemountain Programme is to support community amenity or biodiversity projects which clearly address local issues, needs and opportunities; and which seek to complement and build upon existing local initiatives.

Funding for the Whitemountain Programme is through the Landfill Communities Fund and is derived from Breedon Ireland’s operations at Mullaghglass landfill site near Lisburn.

Grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 are available.

All projects must comply with LCF regulations. Details on the LCF and guidelines for projects can be found at: http://www.entrust.org.uk

Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Proposed projects must fall within either of the following Landfill Communities Fund objects to be eligible to receive funding.

Object D: Public parks and amenities

Projects which provide, maintain or improve a public park or other public amenity in the vicinity of a landfill site, and which promote positive land management and community involvement e.g. community centres, village halls, public sporting facilities, pathways and play areas.

Object DA: Conservation of biodiversity

Projects which promote biodiversity through the provision, conservation, restoration or enhancement of a natural habitat; or the maintenance or recovery of a species in its natural habitat. (Please note that projects should demonstrate links to local or national Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPs)).

• Your project must focus on physical works to a defined site, and all funding sought should relate directly to project delivery
• Your project must be located within 15 miles of Mullaghglass landfill site AND within 10 miles of a licensed landfill site
• If your project is a community amenity (Object D) it must meet minimum LCF public access requirements
• If your project requires planning permission, then this must be in place at time of application
• You must have proof of land ownership and be able to demonstrate landowner/landlord consent for the proposed project. For projects located on Council land this must be in the form of minuted Committee approval •
• All required match funding must be in place

Timescales

Applications are considered by the Whitemountain Programme Advisory Panel on a quarterly basis.

Applicants will normally be informed of the outcome of their application within eight weeks of the application deadline. Successful applicants are normally given six months from receipt of letter of offer to complete their project

Unsuccessful project applications are entitled to revise and re-submit an application to one further Advisory Panel meeting. If an application for a project is unsuccessful twice, organisations must wait for a period of 12 months before submitting another application for this project.

Applications for the same project made by multiple organisations are still subject to these restrictions.

Supporting Documentation

They expect all required consents and approvals to be in place at time of application. You should include evidence as appropriate.

• Legislation
  • All projects must have appropriate arrangements in place for maintenance and insurance, and be able to demonstrate their long-term viability.
  • Planning permission should be in place at time of application. If planning permission is not required confirmation of this by an appropriate professional should be submitted.
• Ownership of the site
  • This must be clearly identified at time of application. If the applicant organisation owns the site, we will require confirmation of this via a legible Deed, Land Registry certificate and/or Solicitors letter. This should state the site location by postcode and not by folio.
  • For projects located on Council land, approval must be evidenced via a Council committee minute.
  • For projects located on a site with a lease agreement, the lease and approval from landowner must be submitted at time of application (the lease should have at least 3 years remaining).
• Accessibility
  • To be eligible for funding under category D projects must meet Landfill Communities Fund public access requirements.
  • If you are not certain this is the case, or the proposal is for the benefit of one particular group, please get in contact prior to starting your application.
  • The facility must be open to the general public a minimum of four evenings or two days a week, equivalent to 104 days a year. Access cannot be unnecessarily restrictive.

Assessment Process

All applications are initially assessed by Groundwork NI for eligibility.

Those projects which meet all the eligibility criteria will then be assessed and scored against the following:

• Impact on the natural, built and/or social environment
• Impact on community needs OR Impact on promotion of biodiversity
• Level of community support & active involvement of beneficiaries
• Long term sustainability & maintenance plans

In addition, priority will be given to projects located within 3 miles of Mullaghglass landfill sites and to applicants who have not previously received Whitemountain Programme funding.

Applicants should note that the selection of projects is a competitive process, and the criteria may be enhanced to assist selection in order to meet the programme budget.

The decision of the Advisory Panel is final.

Payment of Grants

All payments will be made in arrears on submission of all required procurement and claims documentation. No retrospective funding can be claimed for any expenditure incurred before the Letter of Offer has been issued and returned.

• Applicants should show all VAT costs associated with the supply of goods and services for implementation of the project. Please note that recoverable VAT cannot be funded and must be clearly identified in the application form (budget section) and claims

Further Information

To see the full guidance notes click here