Local communities across the UK are facing growing challenges, from social inequality to environmental needs. Yet, vast funds remain untapped. The Housebuilders Federation recently reported that around £8 billion in Section 106 (S106) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions are currently held in UK local authority accounts, with an estimated 26% of these funds left unspent for over five years. This represents an invaluable opportunity to support communities, especially in times of high need.
What Are Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)?
Section 106 agreements are legally binding commitments between developers and local authorities, ensuring contributions to infrastructure, affordable housing, or community needs stemming from new developments. Similarly, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) helps fund broader public infrastructure like schools, parks, and healthcare facilities. However, both funds often remain underutilised.
Delivering S106 & CIL with Greater Transparency, Tracking, and Lower Costs
Here at ActionFunder we help councils and developers distribute S106 and CIL funds directly to local communities. Through the platform, councils can choose to authorise developers to manage these funds, or they can partner to distribute them collaboratively.
This approach offers unique benefits, including:
- Complete transparency on fund allocation
- Increased public participation and direct access to community projects
- Real-time tracking of project updates via videos, images, and posts
- Immediate impact tracking through an intuitive reporting interface
Real Impact for Local Communities
With ActionFunder, councils, developers, and communities can efficiently track the impact of S106 and CIL contributions. By streamlining fund distribution, ActionFunder helps ensure these resources reach communities faster, creating real change where it’s needed most. Reach out to ActionFunder to learn more about how we can help you transform unspent funds into community impact.
To understand more on how we could help you, contact our CEO Mark Shearer.
As a property developer, local councillor and CEO of ActionFunder he’s well-placed to understand the unique challenges and opportunities for developers and councillors in this area.
