Stoke Gifford’s three district councillors have welcomed the news that sports facilities in Little Stoke Park are set to benefit from more than £120,000 worth of improvements, through funding that South Gloucestershire Council has secured from local developments.
The grants are part of a package of more than £310,000 that is being invested across South Gloucestershire, thanks to funding secured via Section 106 agreements with developers.
The money to be invested in Little Stoke Park has come from the developer of Northfield Park, Charlton Hayes. Of this, £23,307 will go to Aretians RFC to improve drainage on the grass rugby pitch, while Stoke Gifford Parish Council will receive £97,840 to construct a new storage building, install floodlighting around the main football pitch and make enhancements to the BMX pump track.
The grant to the parish council is subject to the award of planning consent for the relevant elements of the proposals.
Further details of the two Little Stoke Park grants can be found in the panel below.
Elsewhere in the Bristol North Fringe, £46,619 is going to Bristol BMX Club to improve facilities at The Tumps BMX track in Patchway, £7,000 to Patchway Town Council to enhance the basketball court at Blakeney Road Playing Field; £95,000 to Filton Town Council to convert two tennis courts in Elm Park to multi-use games areas; £11,367 match funding towards improving the changing rooms and kitchen area at Almondsbury Sports and Recreation Centre; and £11,367 to North Bristol Rugby Football Club for car park improvements at Oaklands, Almondsbury.
Cllr Rachael Hunt, Cabinet member for communities and tourism, said:
“I am delighted that South Gloucestershire Council has been able to negotiate this funding from developers, which help deliver a number of improvements to open spaces across the area. It is important to provide spaces for people of all ages to be active and enjoy the outdoors. As a council we are committed to improving our communities, with almost £10 million having been invested into our open areas and green spaces since 2015.”
Conservative councillors Brian Allinson, Ernie Brown and Keith Cranney, who represent the Stoke Gifford ward, including Little Stoke, said:
“With our area set to expand over the coming years, it is fantastic that we can continue to say our local facilities are fit for purpose and ready to meet the demand from people of all ages.”
Extracts from the officer report to the SGC Cabinet member
Aretians RFC: Proposal for £23,307.89 capital funding to improve drainage on the grass rugby pitch at Little Stoke Park, Little Stoke. The club would like to install a French drain along the length of the first team pitch to solve drainage issues. The pitch is prone to flooding during the wet winter months which leads to a loss of training and match opportunities for all participants. This has a knock on effect on income which can destabilise the club. The new drainage system should alleviate the waterlogging by carrying water away from the pitch into a nearby ditch, reducing the number of hours lost due to the pitch being unplayable. Funding will come from the S106 agreement for PT14/5028/O – Northfield Park, Charlton Hayes, which states – “a contribution for off-site provision/enhancement and for off-site maintenance.” Improvements to the pitch drainage will meet the S106 requirements and it is proposed to award £23,307.89 capital to this project.
Stoke Gifford Parish Council: Proposal for £97,840.35 capital for various improvements at Little Stoke Park, Stoke Gifford including construction of a storage building for sports and grounds maintenance equipment to increase the limited existing storage facilities on site; New rugby and football goal posts which will be kept in the proposed storage building in between matches, reducing the amount of wear and tear on grass pitches due to informal use; Installation of floodlighting around the first team football pitch to increase the match and training opportunities within the park; and the redesign of the BMX pump track including tarmac corners to enable the track to accommodate all ages and abilities. Funding will come from the S106 agreement for PT14/5028/O – Northfield Park, Charlton Hayes, which states – “a contribution for off-site provision/enhancement and for off-site maintenance.” The facilities improvements will meet the S106 requirements and it is proposed to award £97,840.35 capital to this project subject to the award of planning consent for the relevant elements of this project.
Photo – Stoke Gifford ward councillors (l-r): Brian Allinson, Ernie Brown and Keith Cranney in Little Stoke Park.
This article originally appeared in the February 2020 issue of the Stoke Gifford Journal magazine (on page 25). The magazine is delivered FREE, nine times a year, to over 5,000 homes in Stoke Gifford, Little Stoke and Harry Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
