Community projects receive £430k boost from developer contributions

CIL payments, which are legally required from developers of residential sites across the district, are redistributed by the council to help local facilities keep pace with housing growth. 

In the latest round of funding, £100k has been awarded to Tostock Village Hall for the first phase of a wider building improvement project.  Together with a further community development grant of £20k from Mid Suffolk District Council and additional funding from Tostock Parish Council, the award will allow initial works to take place to extend the existing hall with new windows, doors, and flooring.

Other successful bids include £37.5k for St Nicholas Church in Bedfield, to install a new accessible and composting toilet, and £10.5k for the Akenham and Henley Bridleway improvement project. 

A number of Stowmarket projects are also to receive a share of the funds. More than £143.5k has been allocated to the Creeting Road ‘Big Park’ to update play equipment and ensure it is inclusive for people of all ages. A further £100k was awarded to the Old Fire Station Community Space project – transforming the town’s former fire station on Lockington Road into a new venue for community activities, and £100k also for the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts CIC to fund the addition of a lift and associated accessibility works at the town centre venue.
Bids for CIL funding are regularly reviewed by cabinet so that money can be ploughed back into local infrastructure. 

Councillor Andrew Stringer, Cabinet Member for Heritage Planning and Infrastructure, said:

Cabinet members also noted two successful bids for solar projects under delegated approval. Awards of £24.7k and £10k went to Needham Market Community Centre and Battisford Village Hall respectively to install solar panels and associated batteries.

Details of all the CIL awards can be found in the Cabinet papers on the meeting agenda page on our website, or they are summarised here: 

Creeting Road ‘Big Park’ Play Area upgrade project - £143,532.41
The upgrade of this play area will provide free access to friendly and welcoming facilities, for the expanding local community. It will allow the play area to be inclusive for people of all ages helping building community resilience and encouraging social, cognitive and physical development.

Cllr Colin Lay, ward member for Stow Thorney, said: "I am absolutely thrilled by the Public Realm Team’s successful Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) bid to upgrade the ‘Big Park’ in Creeting Road. The current toddler and junior play areas have served Cedars Park for over 15 years, but they now offer limited play value and do not meet modern accessibility standards. 

“This vital funding allows us to refurbish the site into a fully compliant, inclusive environment featuring exciting new equipment - including an accessible roundabout and swings for younger children, alongside a double zipwire, twin ring sky carousel, and sensory play panels for older youth.

“Providing high-quality, free-of-charge facilities like this is essential for supporting our expanding local community. By transforming this space into a welcoming environment for all generations, this investment will foster vital social, cognitive, and physical development while building long-term community resilience."

Old Fire Station Community Space project - £100,000
The Mid Suffolk Voluntary Organisations Forum is seeking to convert the former fire station on Lockington Road, Stowmarket, into a new community space – expanding the community support and facilities currently available at nearby Red Gables. This CIL funding will go towards phase one of the project with essential works being carried out to the building to ensure that it complies with building regulations.  

Cllr Miles Row, ward member for Combs Ford, said: “I am pleased Mid Suffolk District Council have been able to offer funding that will help bring this community asset into use. There are many wonderful organisations that use Red Gables. I know with the high demand for community space this will help even more organisations to meet and support the wellbeing of the residents of Stowmarket.”

Cllr Keith Scarff, fellow ward member for Combs Ford, said: “I am delighted to see the Old Fire Station project moving forward, it’s a project I supported as the former County Councillor with funding for the feasibility stage from my Locality budget. The building will offer extra facilities for Red Gables, which is bursting at the seams due to the number and type of groups that need space to meet. I am really pleased to see a redundant community space repurposed for the future and wholeheartedly endorse the project”

John Peel Centre Platform Lift and Associated Works project - £100,000
This application relates specifically to phase one of a much bigger project and seeks funding to cover the cost of the platform lift and associated fire safety works. This includes the purchase and installation of the passenger lift and the creation of a refuge platform, new external fire escape, along with ramps and floor raising to enable disabled access from the ground floor to the first floor.

Cllr Ollie Walters, St Peter’s ward member, said: “As Ward member for St Peter’s in Stowmarket, I am delighted to see the John Peel Centre move forward with yet more improvements. I am happy, that we as a Council, have been able to assist with further funding for the next phase, making the centre more accessible to everyone. The John Peel Centre is a unique asset for the town, and we want everyone to be able to enjoy the wide and varied programme it offers.”

Tostock Village Hall Improvements project - £100,000
This CIL Bid relates to the phase first of a bigger project to improve the village hall. This phase includes an extension for storage with access internally for one area and externally for another, removal of the stage and opening up of the southern end of the hall to link its external space, installing new windows and doors once the stage has been removed, new flooring in areas where structural work and internal reconfiguration is taking place and new fire exit and windows at the northern end.

Cllr David Bradbury, ward member for Thurston, said: “This investment marks an important step in modernising Tostock Village Hall and ensuring it remains a safe, flexible and accessible space for the community. The CIL funding will help deliver essential upgrades that support both current use and the wider long term vision for the hall.” 

Cllr Harry Richardson, fellow ward member for Thurston, said: "I am delighted that Tostock village hall has been successful in their CIL bid. This is a critical opportunity to renew a well-utilised local facility, and I wish the management committee the best of luck as they embark on the first stage of this ambitious project."

St Nicholas Church Accessible Composting Toilet and Pathway - £37,569.60
The Parochial Church Council, together with the Friends of Bedfield Heritage are undertaking this project to install a permanent accessible composting toilet (and pathway) to replace the temporary wooden structure which contains a bucket toilet.  In addition to being accessible, it will also include baby changing facilities.

Akenham & Henley Bridleway Improvement Project - £10,541.00
This funding will make improvements to an existing bridleway, which links Henley to Westerfield. Currently, both bridleways consist of a mixture of natural surfaces and crushed aggregate farm tracks and overall, these surfaces are suitable for use by all users. However, sections of the Henley bridleway can become extremely muddy following periods of rain/inclement weather and a section of the Akenham bridleway is also prone to flooding, which makes the entire route almost unusable after periods of heavy rain. 

Cllr David Penny, ward member for Claydon and Barham, said: “I am proud to support Parish Cllr Andy Bird’s vision of an off-road intervillage super highway. This bit will help connect Henley with Ipswich town centre once works in Ipswich are complete and, I will be using it.”

Delegated decisions:

Needham Market Community Centre solar project - £24,765.00
This project will allow Needham Market Community Centre to install solar panels and associated batteries. These improvements will increase the building’s energy efficiency, enable the building to maintain a comfortable environment for the centre users and will assist in helping the centre generate its own electrical power and reduce running costs.  

Cllr Terry Lawrence, ward councillor for Needham Market, said: “This funding helps provides a very welcome enhancement to Community Centre. It will reduce the payback period of the installation and allow the Community Centre to receive the benefits much sooner than would otherwise be the case. The environmental benefits don’t need stating as their being obvious.”

Cllr Ross Piper, fellow ward councillor for Needham Market, said: “This is a long-awaited improvement that will be transformative for the running costs of this important community resource.”

Battisford Village Hall solar project - £13,965.77
The project will enable Battisford Village Hall Management Committee to install solar panels and associated battery storage. These improvements will enhance the building’s energy efficiency, support a comfortable environment for users, and allow the hall to generate its own electricity, thereby reducing running costs.

Dr Daniel Pratt, ward member for Battisford and Ringshall, said: “I am delighted that Battisford Village Hall is set to receive this vital CIL funding, subject to cabinet approval. 

“This investment in solar panels and battery storage is a fantastic win for our community. It will significantly reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, providing opportunities for more sustainable heating during the winter and cooling during the summer months. 

“The village hall is at the heart of Battisford, and these upgrades ensure it remains a sustainable and welcoming space for everyone.”