The Resilience programme (formerly the Place Delivery Programme) aims to support households and communities to become healthier, more connected, and resilient to the risks and impacts we face in Surrey.
As the most wooded county in the UK, Surrey is rich in green spaces that are valued and protected by community groups, schools, charities and residents. However, our natural environment is under increasing pressure.
The 2017 State of Surrey’s Nature report found that 11.5% of species are locally extinct, with many more in decline due to poor habitat quality and fragmentation. At the same time, we are faced with unprecedented heatwaves, adverse weather, and a growing threat of flooding.
These risks are becoming increasingly frequent and severe due to a warming climate; projections suggest that 66% more homes in Surrey could be at risk of flooding by 2050, whilst Surrey Fire and Rescue responded to its first January wildfire in 2023, typically one of the wettest months, showing the increasing risk from climate impacts.
Our resident surveys show that the overwhelming majority of residents think action on restoring nature and tackling climate change is important (in fact only 5% say it’s ‘not important’).
Nearly half of Surrey residents say they are already witnessing nature and habitat loss, and 1/3 say they have witnessed increased flooding and disruption to services due to climate change.
In response, the 2025-26 Place Delivery Programme supported a range of projects to help residents, community groups and schools prepare for the future. The programme was a clear success, benefiting more than 30,000 people.
For more details, please read the impact report, which can be found on Together For Surrey.
The programme now returns for a second year, with the continued aims of restoring nature (under the Local Nature Recovery Strategy), reducing energy use and costs, preventing flooding and increasing resilience to extreme weather events.
Below is a summary of the initiatives Surrey County Council are supporting through Surrey County Council’s Place Programme. For any queries, or to request an application form for a grant, please contact greenerfutures@surreycc.gov.uk.
Resilience programme grants
Climate resilient schools grant
Many schools across Surrey face challenges with flooding or rising temperatures affecting pupils’ learning, and in some cases causing classrooms to be closed. This impacts young people’s learning, and can have significant knock-on effects, for example on Surrey’s local economy when parents need to stay at home to look after children when schools are closed.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available per school to install measures that build resilience to the rising impacts of climate change. Under this scheme you can:
- Get free training to create a climate risk assessment for your school
- Install rain gardens or sustainable drainage solutions
- Plant trees
- Install shading measures to keep classrooms and playgrounds cooler
Application window: 8 of June 2026 to 31 of July 2026
Full details can be found here: Climate Resilient Schools Grant – 2026 Together for Surrey
Community resilience grant
Surrey Prepared, Surrey Fire and Rescue and Surrey County Council have together created a Community Resilience Toolkit. This offers communities with practical guidance on how to prepare and adapt to risks and impacts in their areas. The grant scheme supports groups to do this with £1,000 to complete a collaborative community Action Plan, and up to a further £15,000 to act upon it through projects. This could include:
- Tree planting and flood attenuation
- Stage 1: Action Plan grant of £1,000
- Sustainable drainage
- Energy resilience measures
- Restoring wetlands and key habitats
- Community mapping
- Solar blinds or film
- Green walls or roofs
Stage 1: Action Plan grant of £1,000
Application window: 15 of July 2026 to 16 September 2026
Stage 2: Project grant of up to £15,000
Application window: 15 July to 30 September 2026
Full details can be found here: Community Resilience Grant 2026
Community scale flood attenuation
A new Property Flood Resilience (PFR) initiative is being piloted in Nork and Tattenhams, an area particularly vulnerable to flooding. The project introduces specialist water butts designed to slow the flow of heavy rainfall, reducing pressure on local drainage systems while capturing water for reuse in gardens and for tasks such as car washing.
Working closely with residents, the National Flood Forum is delivering an impactful community-led programme that aims to raise awareness of flood resilience, build local knowledge and skills, and encourage residents to take ownership of the installation process.
This approach not only supports greater community resilience but also creates opportunities to expand the initiative more widely in the future.