Progress Report on Play Area Development.

Funding Secured to Date

Awards for All – Big lottery Fund - £9591.

Play Area

• £5185 - Purchase and installation of Early Years Play equipment and safety surface.
• £1983 - Leveling and Re-turf of football / kick about area.
• £700 - Improving bike track.
• £400 - Community Notice Board.
• £310 – Purchase transport of shade trees/shade structure.

£8578

Community Activities - £923.

• £330 Summer Party.
• £50 – Halloween Party.
• £328 – Christmas Party.
• £200 - Traffic calming poster activity.
• £105 – Public Liability Insurance for events.

Grassroots Grants.

• £3000- Purchase and installation of Early Years Play Equipment.

Sussex Police Safer Neighborhoods Scheme.

• £2500 – improvements to Football / kick about area.

Sussex Police Property Fund.

• £500 – Play area improvements.

Wealden District Council – Community Environmental Budget.

• £5100 – Replacing perimeter fence with secure fencing and gates and purchase and installation of Community Notice Board.

Funding Applied for but not yet secured.

Changing Spaces – Big Lottery Fund.

Total £50.000

• Purchase and installation of two multi use goals.
• Leveling and re-turfing of football / kick-about area.
• Creating BMX style bike track using natural materials to compliment environment of play area.
• Purchase and installation of early years play equipment.
• Purchase and installation of chain link fencing requested by neighbors to protect their gardens from stray footballs.
• Landscaping and planting to maximize play space.
• Purchase and installation of shade structures.
• Purchase and installation of additional seating areas.
• Purchase and installation of signage.

Tesco Community Foundation.

• £4000 for purchase and installation of equipment.

Changing Spaces Stage Two Application Progress.

Before the Stage two application can be submitted, Changing Spaces require that the following conditions are met.

• A landscape architect is identified and engaged to develop a plan which maximizes the available play spaces while working within the limitations on the project such as minimizing the impact on surrounding properties. Changing Spaces also require that play spaces promote ‘natural play’, and that landscaping and planting form a large part of the development.
• Identify and engage a project manager / lead professional is engaged to ensure the project is designed, constructed and delivered to line with Community Spaces / Big Lottery Fund guidelines. This will include managing the procurement and tender process to ensure ‘value for money’, and also the construction, development and delivery of the project within the specified time frame.
• Identify and engage an accountable body to deal with the legal and financial side of the project.
• Have permission from the land owner / lease holder (MPC) for the work to go ahead.

New Parklands Residents Association and Fran Davies the facilitator from Changing Spaces are currently working towards the outcomes outlined above. Three potential landscape architects / project management companies have so far been identified, and we are now awaiting quotes for the fees involved before engaging the services of the one  most suitable for the project. We are also investigating how best to fund the design, development and planning process prior to submission of the Stage Two Application. It is estimated that these costs will be in the region of £1000 to £1500. Community Spaces have made £700 available for the Planning Permission application and design process. We are currently looking into ways to fund the difference. It may be necessary to use some of the funding already held by NPRA to ensure this part of the process can go ahead. 

We are also in discussions with Wealden District Council on the possibility of becoming the accountable body, as they ultimately own the land.

We are also discussing with Wealden District council how to best to fund the professional fees, so as to minimize the impact on the overall funding available. It is possible that NPRA may be able to apply to the Wealden District Council Community Environmental budget to cover these costs. This possibility is still being investigated. Every effort will be made to minimize the costs of the professional fees on NPRA and the funding awarded from Changing Spaces.

Maresfield Parish Council.

Representatives of NPRA have attended two meetings with Maresfield Parish Council to discuss the play area developments. MPC require that the following conditions are met prior to the Council meeting to discuss whether to give permission for the project to take place.

• The final plan has been produced and agreed by all neighbors and residents.
• A public consultation event has been held.
• Planning permission has been granted by Wealden District Council.

It is possible that even when these conditions have been met the council may still vote to reject the development plans.

Time Scale.

It is the aim of the NPRA and Fran Davies to have achieved all the outcomes required by Changing Spaces and Maresfield Parish Council as soon as possible. Ultimately we hope to have all the permissions and funding in place by the beginning of 2010 ready for work to start, hopefully, all being well the Play Area might be completed late spring early summer 2010.

Next Steps.

We will be writing to all neighbors of the play area to update them on progress of the development. We will notify all Parklands Residents and neighboring properties when the plan has been developed. We will involve residents and neighbors in the planning permission procedure, and we will also be holding a public consultation event, probably in the village hall, where all residents of Maresfield, the parish council and other key stake holders will be able to come and have their say.