Guidance

Plan for Neighbourhoods: pre-approved interventions

Published 4 March 2025

This page contains a list of pre-approved interventions that local authorities and Neighbourhood Boards can use for the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme.

The interventions have been drafted broadly to give flexibility to boards as to how and what they can deliver, providing examples where possible to indicate ideas for spend, but it is not exhaustive.

We encourage Neighbourhood Boards to think innovatively and creatively about how to deliver the strategic objectives of the programme. Where activities fall outside the scope of the pre-approved interventions but the board, based on their community engagement, believes they are better placed to meet local needs, the board should seek to pursue these. This would require a business case to be agreed with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Regeneration, high streets and heritage 

Funding for improvements to town centres, neighbourhoods, and high streets, including capital spend and running costs

Example interventions include:

• public realm improvements, for example pavement repairs, repainting of public spaces, street cleaning street furniture, production and enforcement of a shop-front style guide or other improvements  
• regenerating a town square or high street 
• the delivery of outreach, engagement, or participatory programmes for community spaces, including youth centres and public libraries    
• improvements could include better accessibility for disabled people

Creating and improving green spaces, community gardens, watercourses and embankments in the local area, along with incorporating natural features into wider public spaces

Example interventions include:

• regeneration of existing parks or community gardens, particularly in areas with poor quality parks and gardens
• improvements to a canal towpath, particularly in more deprived neighbourhoods
• urban and riparian tree planting
• changes to management of green spaces and verges
• improving access to existing parks
• development of a new park, particularly in areas with the least access to greenspace
• development of a new community garden

Support for non-domestic energy efficiency measures and decarbonisation in local businesses, high streets, and community infrastructure

Example interventions include:

• support grants for local businesses to upgrade current infrastructure to make energy savings, with eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis
• taking a whole systems approach to investing in infrastructure to deliver effective decarbonisation and energy efficiency for buildings and transport and beyond (for example, improvements to heating or ventilation efficiency, or support for renewable technologies)

Funding for new community and neighbourhood infrastructure projects, or for improvements to existing ones, including facilities that house public services or enhance community resilience to natural hazards, such as flooding. This could cover both capital spend and operational costs

An example intervention includes:

• constructing new or updating existing defences to enhance community resilience against natural hazards like flooding or coastal erosion

Enhanced support for arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities, projects and facilities and historic institutions that make up the local cultural heritage offer

Example interventions include:

• organising event programmes for local assets and sites, such as youth centres and public libraries, and their communities
• developing, restoring or refurbishing local natural, cultural and heritage assets and sites, including for new uses by the community

Funding for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative initiatives

Example interventions include:

• funding to support maker spaces
• support for local art galleries, museums, and libraries to host exhibitions
• support for artists to display and showcase work
• funding for cultural, heritage and creative events, for example, locally led music and theatre performances, tours, author events and film screenings
• support for outreach, engagement, participatory programmes as part of wider local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities
• support for the establishment and development of cultural, heritage collaborative networks to share knowledge locally

Investment and support for digital infrastructure for local community facilities

Housing 

Provide safe and supportive environments for people with experience of homelessness and rough sleeping

Example interventions include:

• supporting community-based faith and voluntary sector homelessness services to improve accommodation infrastructure and support services
• enabling community-based services to work with those in the community (including those in temporary accommodation) to prevent a return to rough sleeping (for example, by establishing befriending and mentoring schemes)
• supporting larger commissioned homelessness and rough sleeping charities that alleviate wider statutory duties

Modernisation of social housing

An example intervention includes:

• capital funding can be used to insulate walls, install underfloor insulation, install loft insulation, install double glazing units, and replace gas boilers with low carbon heating systems such as heat pumps

Support wider neighbourhood renewal by improving the attractiveness and liveability of homes and their surroundings

Example interventions include:

• running community engagement and consultation processes for estate regeneration or other neighbourhood renewal projects
• supporting with neighbourhood public realm improvements, such as improving and securing domestic private and communal gardens, upgrading  play areas, and hiring design or project consultancy

Provide healthy and climate-resilient homes support locally

Example interventions include:

• establishing a ‘healthy housing’ advice hub space, in the same vein as the Good Homes Agency Model and Derby City Healthy Housing Hub
• mitigating the effects of extreme heat on homes – for example, by purchasing external window shutters, ceiling fans, and UV light film for glass for local homes
• using funding capacity for domestic water-saving measures – for example, installing a water-saving device in a toilet cistern, or installing a water-butt for plants
• developing and supplying emergency flood preparedness kits to local homes – see examples of this from the National Flood Forum, Scottish Flood Forum and the Environment Agency
• fitting property flood resilience measures in homes at risk of flooding

Establish land trusts for the purpose of creating community-led housing to meet local needs

Example interventions include:

• incorporating a community land trust (CLT), for example to help with filing with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and to attend, run and seek out workshops to clarify aims, seek legal advice, and all other key priorities
• using funding to help with building CLT membership, leadership, skills, and technical advice throughout a project
• hiring a manager for the CLT
• project-specific costs at the pre-development stage such as the costs of project management and community consultations, and costs associated with bringing forward planning applications, including the use of surveyors and architects
• hiring bid writers for grants to build properties, acquire land, and buy-up properties for renovation

Support local community initiatives that support people in bringing down their home energy bills and improve the energy efficiency of their homes

Example interventions include:

• running community energy groups to help local residents, for example, people could bring their gas and electricity bills and discuss ways to save and keep warm with volunteers, receive energy debt advice, and be given referrals to a heat doctor
• running in-person retrofitting advice sessions in community spaces to improve engagement with retrofitting - funding can be allocated to hire a Planning Advisory Scheme (PAS) or Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)-accredited consultant to train volunteers in retrofitting advice

Work, productivity and skills 

Support to improve awareness of, and access to, local provision that moves people closer to and into sustained employment, in line with an area’s Get Britain Working Plan (England and Wales only)

England and Wales: Boards should check proposals with Connect to Work teams and Get Britain Working Plans in their wider areas.

Example interventions include:

• additional support to help economically inactive people into work
• Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) prevention and reduction activity in advance of full implementation of the Youth Guarantee in England and the Young Person’s Guarantee in Scotland, Work Experience programme in Northern Ireland and Wales Young Person’s Guarantee
• local interventions to improve the retention of disabled people and people with health conditions within the workplace

Enabling community wealth building

Example interventions include:

• creating a regional mutual or community bank – for example, banking services aimed at supporting community development, small businesses, the local social economy, or helping low earners acquire mortgages
• supporting local employment schemes
• offering business rate relief for those businesses that become Living Wage Accredited, using local authority discretionary rate relief powers to fund a fixed pot to deliver a local scheme (see example scheme by Hounslow)

Developing and expanding existing local business support and networks for smaller businesses and social enterprises

Example interventions include:

• working with the local Growth Hub in England, Business Wales, Scottish Enterprise or Enterprise NI, and partners such as Chambers of Commerce and Business and Intellectual Property Centres on developing or leveraging existing relevant local business advice, support and networks
• strengthening provision for the local growth hub to support businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate
• supporting the existing regional delivery of Made Smarter Adoption in England bidding for and host international business events and conferences, with agreement of the Department of Business and Trade, that support wider regional growth sectors – this could include conferences for leading sectors locally
• supporting the establishment and ongoing running of an open air market
• improvements to town centre retail and service sector infrastructure, with wrap around support for small businesses, utilising existing support channels where possible
• business support activity for local entrepreneurs

Towns should consult their regional Department for Business and Trade export support team when planning export-related activities, including bidding to host any international business events or conferences. This will ensure cohesive, complementary, and aligned export support for local businesses, optimising value for money outcomes from the use of public funds.

Skills provision tailored to local opportunities and skills gaps, such as those identified in an area’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (England only)

Example interventions include:

• equipment and facilities for a specific programme or training course run by a skills provider or college linked to a local employer in need of skilled workers
• green skills courses, including retraining for those in high carbon sectors

Funding to support the development, improvement, and promotion of the visitor economy, such as local attractions, historical trails, cultural tours, campaigns and other related tourism products

Example interventions, working with the relevant Local Visitor Economy Partnership or equivalent where possible, include:

• grants for the development, promotion, and upkeep of local tourist attractions
• developing other visitor experiences centred around the local offering (for example, cultural or historical offerings)
• campaigns highlighting the local area and its culture, heritage, leisure, and visitor attractions, aimed at both residents and visitors
• initiatives to encourage visitors from further afield to visit and stay for longer periods in the region (such as overnight), collaborating with other places where appropriate

Cohesion  

Measures to improve community cohesion

Example interventions include:

• co-creating cohesion action plans by local authorities, agencies and partners, including the voluntary and community sector, businesses and communities, which diagnose local cohesion challenges and ensure tangible, measurable actions are put in place to address them
• projects that bring people together from different groups, including different faiths, for various objectives, including social mixing, intercommunity conversations, volunteering, and conflict resolution
• projects which celebrate and explore different cultures and lives, such as neighbourhood festivals and cultural exchange opportunities   
• projects which build relationships within and between communities, such as mentoring and buddying schemes, town-hall discussions on local issues, and other means of creating productive dialogue  
• projects which build capacity, capability and awareness in communities, such as English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) provision, hate crime awareness, tackling local misinformation and disinformation which impacts local cohesion, public education and communication campaigns, community ambassadors, and preparing communities to accept and support new arrivals and resettled cohorts

Funding for impactful volunteering and social action projects to develop social and human capital in local place

Example interventions include:

• supporting local volunteering groups, such as youth charities and carer’s groups
• supporting people, including young people, to develop volunteering and social action projects locally

Investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society, youth and community groups

Example interventions include:

• renovating and developing existing or new community spaces, such as village halls, libraries (including libraries of things), youth facilities or community centres for local civil society and community groups to use
• community-based small grants and loans schemes
• developing community forums, youth engagements, governance structures, volunteering and social action projects and communication channels

Health and wellbeing 

Supporting community-level health provision

Example interventions include:

• community mental health hubs
• social prescribing provision
• measures to encourage healthy eating such as community-level fruit and vegetable prescription schemes
• pilot programmes aimed at improving local health outcomes
• signposting to free NHS digital support tools, for example, NHS Better Health apps and websites

Integration and co-location of health and wellbeing services

Example interventions include:

• bringing together different health and wellbeing services under one roof in an accessible high street location – where appropriate, this could be as part of a wider community hub which houses a range of community services and activities under one building, creating a place for people to mix with others 
• turning disused or under-used high street buildings into health and wellbeing hubs  
• utilising retail spaces for healthcare initiatives, such as clinical, community, diagnostic, and mental health and wellbeing services so that towns benefit from improved accessibility, reduced carbon footprint, and economic revitalisation – some example services are:
  • domestic abuse  
  • homelessness   
  • substance abuse   
  • early years and ageing well services   
  • mental health, mindfulness and suicide prevention plus young person mental and health resilience training   
  • smoking cessation   
  • exercise classes and support sessions   
  • healthy eating and nutrition classes   

Funding for local sport and activity facilities, events, teams and leagues, to foster community engagement and connection

Example interventions include:

• refurbishing and maintaining existing sports facilities
• funding for community sports leagues
• redeveloping an unused area to build sports facilities
• developing new 3G sports pitches and other sports facilities

Funding to support preventative public health initiatives and campaigns

Example interventions include:

• funding for support groups or specialist advice services on public health issues, such as stop smoking services
• encouraging the use of free campaign materials from NHS Better Health, available from the Department of Health and Social Care’s Campaign Resource Centre (these cover healthy pregnancy, early years, family nutrition and physical activity, and a range of adult health behaviours including smoking and mental health)

Provide drug and alcohol support for people with experience of homelessness and rough sleeping

Example interventions include:

• setting up or supporting a Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO) – this could involve working with existing LEROs and collaboration with existing community organisations and venues such as community centres, churches, and libraries
• establishing therapeutic and community-connection activities using shared community spaces, for example community gardens and art therapy groups

A LERO is an independent organisation led by people with lived experience of drug and alcohol recovery. LEROs deliver a range of harm reduction interventions, peer support and recovery support, and help people to access and engage in treatment and other support services.

Transport 

Boards should engage in a positive and collaborative manner with the relevant local authority and transport operators on the transport interventions set out below. 

Support for active travel enhancements in the local area

Example interventions include:

• improving existing footways and cycle routes, particularly in areas of health need
• creating new footways and cycle routes to key destinations, particularly in areas with poor health outcomes
• upgrading a junction or introducing crossings to mitigate severance, for example, between residential housing areas and the local high street

Funding can be used to improve local bus services

Example interventions include:

• making improvements to local bus infrastructure, including bus stops, bus stations and interchanges, bus lanes and corridors, traffic signalling improvements, or bus priority schemes to improve bus speed and punctuality 
• bringing forward delivery of schemes set out in the local Bus Service Improvement Plan in England, or equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 
• revenue support for new or existing local bus services, including flexible bus services (Demand Responsive Transport) or community transport services 
• improving the quality of bus information for passengers and marketing of the local bus service offer 
• reducing or simplifying fares

Funding for new, or improvements to local road networks to improve access within and to the town

Example interventions include:

• traffic management improvements to relieve congestion
• road safety
• highway maintenance (including potholes)

Funding to improve rail connectivity and access

Example interventions include:

• developing business cases for and delivering new stations along existing lines, with the support of additional local funding, if needed, and with the agreement of National Rail and the Department for Transport, or equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 
• improving accessibility and journey quality at and around stations  
• improving passenger information

Boards should engage with Network Rail, train operators, and the Rail Delivery Group, as well as other rail organisations and bodies (such as Community Rail Partnerships) about any funding to improve rail connectivity and access in and around stations.

Reducing vehicle emissions

Example interventions include:

• funding for electric vehicle charging facilities
• funding to procure zero emission buses and supporting infrastructure
• funding to subsidise the procurement of zero emission buses and supporting infrastructure by bus operators

Safety and security 

Design and oversight of the built and landscaped environment to ‘design out’ crime and encourage positive behaviour

Example interventions include:

• using Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to redesign parks, streets, and alleyways. This includes removing blind spots, improving sightlines, and adding clear pathways, ensuring public areas feel safe and open 
• encouraging the active use of public spaces throughout the daytime, evening, and night   
• improving streetlighting, such as improved lighting levels and smart street lighting   
• fitting or upgrading CCTV 
• installing multi-functional street furniture, designed to discourage misuse or vandalism 
• installing signage in town centres to reinforce crime prevention messages and deter anti-social behaviour. such as “Keep it clean for everyone” or “Respect your town: CCTV in operation” - these can act as constant reminders to encourage pro-social behaviour 
• using pavement markings or physical barriers to discourage loitering or clustering in high-risk areas, such as outside shops, while guiding pedestrians through safer, well-monitored pathways 
• replacing graffiti-prone walls with community-designed art projects such as murals, which encourage respect for the area and reduce vandalism 
• using public installations that both beautify and promote safety in town centres, for example, ‘Safe Zones’ to designate visible safe spaces with clear signage, where people can wait or seek help in busy areas, such as outside train stations or late-night venues 
• installing digital or physical noticeboards in town centres where residents and businesses can report issues, highlight community events, or promote safety campaigns – these boards could also include live updates about public services, fostering engagement and collaboration

Policing interventions to target crime prevention in specific locations, in particular town centres

Example interventions include:

• community or town wardens
• hotspot policing
• problem-oriented crime prevention and enforcement

Boards should engage with the local police force, when considering these interventions. 

Interventions to tackle anti-social behaviour, crime and minimise reoffending

Example interventions include:

• sports initiatives designed to tackle crime and minimise reoffending   
• mentoring   
• police-led diversion models for young offenders pre-charge 
• targeted deterrence approaches 
• halfway house initiatives

Co-location of crime reduction services

Example interventions include:

• establishing multi-agency crime reduction hubs and bringing together local hubs where councils, police, social services, probation, businesses, mental health teams, and community organisations collaborate to share intelligence, coordinate resources, and plan joint interventions 
• utilising retail spaces, funding can be used to create spaces, especially in town centres where the public can access guidance and support about anti-social behaviour and crime 
• establishing and running a Business Crime Reduction Partnership

Improved town centre management

Example interventions include:

• delivering coordinated town centre management, including establishing a town centre support team to work in partnership with councils, police, and local businesses 
• testing the viability of establishing a Business Improvement Districts (BID) to help improve the local trading environment  
• creating action plans for managing nightlife, including staggered closing times, late-night transport, and visible policing

Initiatives to reduce burglary

Example interventions include:

• community-led Neighbourhood Watch   
• providing of crime prevention guidance 
• marking property for identification 
• enhancing property security through target hardening  
• cocoon watch  
• providing crime prevention advice, support and guidance to neighbours and nearby residents of burgled properties)   
• installing alley gating to improve security

Education and opportunity 

School-based programmes to support young people’s development

Example interventions include:

• targeted early help support initiatives to support children and young people with emerging mental health and wellbeing needs 
• facilitating access to arts, music, sports and other enrichment activities

Support to both reduce levels of child poverty and to prevent the negative impacts of child poverty on children and families

Example interventions include:

• supporting families in poverty to increase income and become financially resilient, for example by improving access to welfare and debt advice, including awareness and uptake of social security benefits 
• cost of living support for disadvantaged families to mitigate the impacts of child poverty, for example, support for travel cost and fuel 
• ensuring access to good quality healthy food, for example through use of food vouchers during school holidays and nutritional support programmes 
• funding for children and families in poverty to overcome barriers to digital inclusion, for example access to the internet and or device support (funding can be used to extend existing initiatives) 
• creation of community-led responses to child poverty which are accessible and destigmatising, for example community shops with access to discounted food, school uniforms and other equipment, community kitchens and guidance services

Support for families and young children

Example interventions include:

• bolstering national breakfast club provision locally  
• bolstering early years education and childcare provision, including through supporting new or expanded school-based nurseries 
• additional support for family hubs and family help services including building or upgrading facilities, and expanding service provision

Funding to help families with the cost of childcare where it may alleviate cost of living pressures, or support employment

An example intervention includes:

• including piloting models of community-delivered childcare, for example, exploring cooperative and collective provision by parents in line with the French Crèche parentales where parents would support 1 to 2 days a week in exchange for free childcare

Support for growing the local social economy, including community businesses, cooperatives and social enterprises  

Example interventions include:

• funding to help establish or develop a local co-operative organisation
• training for local business support providers (such as Growth Hubs in England) and other sector facilitators to help them promote, inform and deliver co-operative business solutions

Support for community-based learning and development

Example interventions include:

• training and support programmes for local civil society and community group leaders to build the capacity of communities to meet their own needs, and to engage with and influence decision makers 
• community-based adult learning programmes, including to develop confidence and life skills (including cooking and household repair), and to improve essential skills in maths, English (including English for speakers of other languages) and digital 
• youth work, family learning and other early intervention work with children, young people and families