FAQs
Why has our area been selected?
Park Wood and Senacre is one of 261 neighbourhoods across England chosen for Pride in Place funding, based on local need and the potential to make a real long-term difference for people living there.
What types of improvements can the funding support?
The programme is deliberately flexible - the community will decide. The government has published a broad list of suggested interventions to give Neighbourhood Boards ideas, covering everything from improving streets and public spaces to housing, employment and skills, health and wellbeing, community facilities, and much more. Boards are actively encouraged to think creatively and innovatively, and the list is not exhaustive.
Who decides how the money is spent?
The community does. The government is clear that it is the people living and working in these areas who are best placed to identify local challenges and shape the solutions. The Neighbourhood Board will develop a 10-year Pride in Place Plan through wide-ranging community engagement, and that plan must demonstrate it has been genuinely shaped by what local people want to see before delivery begins.
What is a Neighbourhood Board?
A Neighbourhood Board is a community-led partnership responsible for co-producing the Pride in Place Plan and delivering improvements in the interests of local people. It must include a broad range of local voices - residents, grassroots groups, faith leaders, businesses, and community organisations - alongside the local MP and a ward councillor. The Board will be led by an independent Chair who will have a genuine, deep connection to the local area.
How can residents get involved?
There will be a range of ways to have your say as the programme develops - including workshops, drop-in events, and other community engagement activities across the Park Wood and Senacre area. As a starting point, you can use the mapping tool on this page to tell us where you think improvement is needed. The Neighbourhood Board is required to involve the wider community throughout the programme, not just at the start.
Who checks that the money is used properly?
The Neighbourhood Board leads on deciding how the funding is spent, with Maidstone Borough Council acting as the accountable body to government. This means the council is responsible for ensuring public money is managed in line with government rules - but it is the Board, not the council, that drives the decisions. The Board is required to publish its membership, governance arrangements, and meeting minutes so the community can see exactly how decisions are being made.
When will we start to see improvements?
Some early improvements can begin while the 10-year plan is being developed, with funding available to support projects that build community momentum. Larger, longer-term transformation will be planned across the full decade. The programme is designed to deliver both visible, tangible change and lasting improvements that go well beyond the 10 years of funding.
Can this funding help with long‑standing issues?
Yes. Pride in Place is designed to address the issues that matter most to residents, including those that have proved difficult to tackle without sustained, long-term investment. The programme recognises that real, lasting change takes time, and that's exactly what this decade of funding is designed to support.
Will local organisations be able to lead projects?
Yes. As the programme develops, there will be opportunities for local organisations and community groups to take on greater roles in shaping and delivering projects. Building lasting local capacity is one of the programme's core aims - the intention is that the community is stronger and more empowered as a result of Pride in Place.