2025 Action Scorecards

Question · Action Scorecards 2025

Has the council raised ring-fenced income for climate action from property development?

Question code
4.10a
Section
Governance & Finance
Topic
Funding sources
Source
Volunteer Research
Question weight
High

Criteria

Criteria is met if the council has used either the Community Infrastructure Levy or Section 106 to raise any amount of ring-fenced funds for climate action, explicitly to fund climate action projects, including mitigation, adaptation, ecological and biodiversity restoration or enhancement. The funds must be ring-fenced for climate or ecological projects, created with money from property development.

References to funds covering blue or green infrastructure projects, sustainable drainage, transport or other specific projects listed in an Infrastructure Funding Statement is not valid. A commitment to climate action in Infrastructure Funding Strategies is also not valid.

In Scotland, the criteria is met if the council has used section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 for the same purposes as above.
In Northern Ireland, the criteria is met if the council has used section 76 of the 2011 Planning Act for the same purposes as above.

Clarifications

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a charge that local authorities can set on new development in order to raise funds to help fund specific projects, such as the infrastructure, facilities and services needed to support new homes and businesses.

Section 106 are legal agreements between Local Authorities and developers linked to planning permissions, which can include councils requiring developers to build specific community infrastructure (such as bus and cycles lanes) or provide finance for specific council projects. They can also be known as planning obligations.

Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is similar to section 106, where the council can require conditions of the developers, such as building specific community infrastructure or providing finance for specific council projects.

Section 76 of the 2011 Planning Act is similar to section 106, where the council can require conditions of the developers, such as building specific community infrastructure or providing finance for specific council projects.

Mitigation strategies such as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) or others are not valid as these requirements are used to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of property development. We want to see proactive, ring-fenced funds for wider climate or ecological action.

Question performance by council type

Points distribution Northern Irish councils

0 points

11 Northern Irish councils

1 point

0 Northern Irish councils

Note: “in 2023” counts show how the councils listed below were marked on this question in 2023. This list of councils may be slightly different to the list of councils originally assessed on this question in 2023, due to the creation and abolition of councils between Scorecard years.

Rising and falling Northern Irish councils

00
councils scored higher in 2025
00
councils scored lower in 2025

Scores and evidence Northern Irish councils

CouncilScoreDifference2023Evidence
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Ards and North Down Borough Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Belfast City Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Derry City and Strabane District Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Mid Ulster District Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
Score 2025
0/1
2023 Difference
--
0/1--No evidence found