Skate park and medieval church among projects to receive £295k boost
Brantham Parish Council’s plans to install a purpose-built skate park for youngsters and the wider local community took a major step forward yesterday, after Babergh District Council voted to include the scheme in the latest round of successful Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) awards.
The project has already undergone extensive consultation and aims to create an accessible and inclusive place for skateboarding, BMX riding, scooter riding and rollerblading. The funding would cover the majority of the project’s total cost, with the remainder coming from the National Lottery and the local parish councils.
Also set to receive £100k is a project to upgrade St Andrew’s Church in Great Cornard.
The Grade I listed building is set to undergo essential infrastructure improvements to ensure the church can be an accessible and welcoming hub for the local community while keeping its heritage intact.
Both projects were amongst today’s/yesterday’s successful bids for District CIL funding, with a total of almost £297k set to be reinvested into Babergh communities, thanks to developer contributions.
It is a legal requirement for developers of eligible sites to pay CIL to the Council. Bids made for CIL funding are then regularly reviewed by the Council, with money reinvested in local infrastructure, helping communities to keep pace with the impacts of housing growth.
Also, amongst the successful bids was £85k for Burstall Memorial Hall to help extend the kitchen as part of a wider upgrade and improvement of facilities, and delegated approval was noted for a further award of just under £11.8k for the installation of solar panels, including on site battery storage, at East Bergholt Sports Pavillion.
“CIL funding is really important to ensure that local infrastructure can grow at the same rate as housing develops to meet the demands of new communities.
“I am looking forward to seeing these projects take shape and I hope that the local community makes use of them for years to come.”
Details of the CIL awards can be found in the Cabinet papers, or they are summarised here:
Skate Park, Brantham - £100,000
This project will enable Brantham Parish Council to install a purpose-built skate park which has designed for the young people and wider community within the local area. It will create a modern recreational facility that supports physical, mental and social wellbeing, encouraging more social interaction in a safe environment. The design of the skate park will ensure that it is accessible and inclusive for all and will provide somewhere where skateboarding, BMX, scooter riding and rollerblading can be undertaken.
“Part of Brantham PC’s ongoing 10 yr plan, it has been extensively consulted on throughout the community and has high levels of support here and in surrounding parishes, both as a facility itself and financially.
“It fills a gap in recreational provision for the area and continues to attract further fundraising activity. This is the kind of project CIL was designed to make possible.”
St Andrews Church Internal Upgrade Project, Great Cornard - £100,000
The proposed project will secure the long-term future of the church by reordering and adapting the internal layout of this grade I listed building to make it more accessible, functional and welcoming for all the community. This includes providing an accessible toilet, an upgraded kitchen area and increasing and enhancing the seating capacity
“I have been working closely with the team at St Andrews, the church is a well-used community hub that provides support to all residents of the village and these improvements will enable the space to be used for projects that at the moment are simply not possible due to space constraints.
“This funding will ensure St Andrews remains at the heart of Great Cornard for many years to come.”
Memorial Hall Improvements Project, Burstall - £85,122.36
This project forms part of a wider piece of work being done at the village hall with this CIL bid focusing on the extension and reconfiguration of the kitchen which will allow for hosting of larger events and expand the versatility of the venue.
“The hall is a beautiful historic building that will become the hub of the village once the improvements have been completed. I feel that the village does need a focal point for public and private events, allowing their community spirit to strengthen even further.”
Delegated decisions
Sports Pavilion Solar Project, East Bergholt - £11,791.50
This project will enable East Bergholt Parish Council to install a solar photovoltaic system including on site battery storage at the Sports Pavilion. These improvements will increase the building’s own energy efficiency, enabling the building to maintain a comfortable environment for all users. It will enable the Sports Pavilion to generate its own electrical power and reduce its running costs.
“I know that energy costs have been a big challenge for this well-used facility and solar energy will substantially reduce costs while cutting carbon emissions.
“Thank you to the hardworking volunteers in East Bergholt and the Babergh CIL team who have made this happen."
