9 January 2024
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We are pleased to announce the award of two new grants in December to support the use of the law by communities who want to engage in planning decisions.
The Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) has received £90,000 over three years to provide advice and support to UK communities seeking environmental justice and enabling their voice to be heard particularly on planning matters.
ELF is a small national charity with a wide network of professional and student volunteers, it offers free legal and technical advice to communities in need.
The Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) received £120,000 over three years to support marginalised communities to challenge injustice stemming from gentrification.
PILC’s Gentrification Project includes opposing the loss of secure council tenancies, challenging undemocratic exercises in estate redevelopment, contesting the loss of community assets such as greenspace and demanding that the Greater London Authority create a Resident Empowerment Fund to level the playing field between residents, local authorities and private developers.
These grants join a previous grant in 2023 to Southwark Law Centre for the Southwark Planning Voice project, which has already had a number of positive outcomes for residents.
David Sampson, Deputy Director of the Baring Foundation, says:
“Our research on this issue portrays a planning system that is dysfunctional, underfunded and sees very poor levels of public participation especially by communities most affected and unable to afford legal support. However, it is also one where legal action can be remarkably effective. We hope that by focusing some of our funding on this area of work, we – with other funders – will be able to catalyse good practice by legal civil society and support effective models of legal action in this field.”
(Photo by Frans Ruiter on Unsplash)