RESIDENTS are to be given the chance to decide which projects deserve council funding.

Lewisham will run one of 10 pilot projects giving people the chance to examine and decide on how a fixed public budget should be spent.

The projects were launched by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears on July 5 as part of a plan to give every neighbourhood in the country control of a community kitty within five years Two Lewisham wards, Evelyn and Bellingham, will be eligible for a share of a £45,000 budget in their U Decide - Cash For the Community project.

The Neigbourhood Renewal Fund is providing £37,500 and a further £7,500 of funding will come from Lewisham Council.

Community and voluntary groups will be able to bid for sums between £50 and £2,000 to fund projects which encourage volunteering, support young people, address concerns in the area and improve neighbourhoods.

A community day is planned for September, when those who have applied for funding can discuss their plans.

Applicants to the project will get to vote on the proposals.

The projects with the most votes will receive funding.

Ms Blears said: "We want to bring devolution to the doorstep, giving communities a direct say over how to tackle the things which matter most to them, from improving playgrounds to tackling litter, to making their street safer."

Bellingham ward councillor Alan Hall, said: "It is exciting to try this new way of improving our area.

"It strikes me it's like The X Factor for Bellingham."

David Ashby is the secretary of charity Disabled People's Contact, based in Creek Road, Deptford.

He said: "For the community to decide what's going on in their name and their area is an excellent thing.

"But the biggest problem we have, and others have too, is not so much these one-off grants, it's continued funding.

"Although £2,000 is a lovely sum of money, it would only go so far."

Groups can now apply for funding.

Call 020 8314 9061 for an application form, Trevor Pybus on 07730 637163 to discuss a project in Bellingham or Gayle Wallace on 07725 785717 to discuss an Evelyn project.