Parks and open spaces in five parishes have been handed a windfall worth more than £500,000.
A total of £503,496 will be released over the coming months for community projects in areas where developments are taking place, with the money coming from Section 106 funds. A Section 106 agreement is a legal agreement between local authorities and developers either for new facilities or the improvement of existing facilities in an area where development is taking place. The funds, agreed by the executive committee of South Hams District Council in December, are for amounts of more than £30,000.
Some of the projects are being delivered in-house by council officers, while in other cases, funds will be passed to the town or parish council or local community group in charge of the project.
Ivybridge Town Council clerk Lesley Hughes said: “The money will be controlled by SHDC and as I understand it they will be designating the play areas where it will be spent, although they have discussed with us the priorities. Other 106 money will be spent over time as more houses are built on the projects allocated within the Section 106 agreements, eg support for Ivybridge Town FC, works at Ivybridge Rugby Club, cricket club nets and funding for Filham Park for the provision of more pitches.”
From front page
Stokenham Parish Council clerk Gill Claydon said: “The parish council has asked to use these Section 106 monies to upgrade facilities in Chillington Playing Field.
“Currently we are awaiting advice and reports back from surveyors and contractors, but once this is received this money will be used to benefit the community.”
In Brixton the money will be used for improvement of sport and recreation facilities at Horsham Playing Fields, and/or the football pitch at Frankford Park, and/or access improvements to these.
In Ermington, the funds will be used for new or improved facilities at Ermington Playing Fields, and in Modbury they will be used to begin work on drainage and changing facility improvements for the junior and adult football pitches, extension to the grounds to support additional junior football pitches and/or artificial cricket wicket at the QEII Ground and improvements to, and maintenance of, off-site public play at Memorial Hall or Palm Cross Green.
South Hams councillor Hilary Bastone, the portfolio holder for Customer First, said: “It’s great news to all those communities who will be receiving much-needed funds. The amounts received through s106 agreements go a long way to supporting communities to come together, through the creation and improvement of play and leisure facilities.
“These facilities encourage residents to be out and about enjoying the fresh air, and I look forward to watching these schemes come to completion.”
Work currently being progressed from previously agreed contributions are improvements to play facilities at Courtenay Park, Salcombe. Tenders for suitable contractors to carry out the works using a mixture of both s106 and capital funds will be advertised in the spring.
A footpath in Totnes linking the Follaton Oak development and the council’s arboretum is currently being constructed. More footpath improvement works have been taking place on the section of the Dart Valley Trail which runs through Premier Marina’s land at Noss on Dart, together with the creation of a new interpretation board to be installed in the spring.
In South Brent, cricketers should be pleased with improved club facilities which are soon to take place, thanks to s106 funds match funded by an English Cricket Board grant.
In future, there is a potential for £3.5m of funding secured through s106 agreements. These funds will, however, only be received by the council if and when developments progress.