Latest community investments are child’s play

The awards, including an investment of nearly £500k in Belle Vue Park in Sudbury, are thanks to the latest round of funding from the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy.

CIL payments are legally required from developers when building residentials sites across the district. Monies collected are then redistributed by the council to go towards local community projects to ensure they can keep up with housing growth. 

Belle Vue Park receives a total of £490k to cover the increased costs of the new toilet block and accessible facilities, plus upgrading the play area to create a more inclusive space for young visitors and complements the council’s plans for a new café. 

A further £55k will go towards improving the play equipment at Aubrey Drive play area – also in Sudbury – with £76k for improving the play area at the Calais Street recreation ground in Hadleigh.

In each case, proposals include upgrading facilities to create more inclusive play equipment that is designed to support children with disabilities, incorporating sensory play features and ground level activities as well as features to ensure safe and accessible fun for all.
    
Meanwhile, Hadleigh Leisure Centre receives £101k towards a project to increase the capacity of the fitness suite and repurpose a ground-floor room into a community space – and Great Cornard Library receives £19k to add a children’s library within its existing space to attract younger visitors and their families.

Cllr Sallie Davies, Cabinet Member for Heritage, Planning & Infrastructure at Babergh District Council, said:

Cabinet members also noted one successful bid under delegated approval. Just over £3,000 will go to Glemsford Village Hall to be used in an insultation and eco lighting project that will transform the Old Library Room into a warm, welcoming space for the community. 

Bids for CIL funding are regularly reviewed by cabinet, so that the money can be ploughed back into local infrastructure, helping communities to keep pace with the impacts of housing growth. 

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: 

Belle Vue Park toilets and associated infrastructure - £421,341.00
This is a resubmission of a previous CIL bid and accounts for a considerable increase in foundation costs for the toilets and changing places facilities and to address the uplift in infrastructure costs for the remaining eligible items of the project. 

Supporting this park in Sudbury with new toilet provision which includes a Changing Place facility will assist residents and visitors to the town during their stay.

The changing places facility is designed to include specialist equipment such as a height adjustable changing bench, peninsular toilet, ceiling tracked hoist and shower. 

Cllr Laura Smith, ward member for Sudbury South West, said: “I am so pleased that an increase in funding has been agreed; Belle Vue Park has needed nicer toilets for years and years – so hopefully park users will have them soon.”

Belle Vue Park Play Area, Sudbury - £68,155.01
The proposal is to upgrade the play facilities provided at Belle Vue Park in Sudbury to create a more inclusive and accessible play area for local children and visitors.  

Cllr Laura Smith, ward member for Sudbury South West, said: “It’s great that the play equipment will be inclusive and accessible for disabled residents and visitors. It’s also good to know that local children helped to pick out their own equipment as part of Babergh’s consultation earlier this year.”

Hadleigh Leisure Centre enhancement project - £101,472.53
This project will increase capacity at the Hadleigh Pool and Leisure Centre extending the fitness suite from 30 to 50 workstations to address the accessibility of the facilities. It will also include the repurposing of a ground floor social room into a dual-purpose community space which will be able to be used for fitness classes as well as being able to be used for community groups and hiring opportunities.

Cllr Jane Carruthers, ward member for Hadleigh South, said: “It’s good news that CIL funding is being used to upgrade to the playground in Calais Street Park. 
“The inclusive nature of the play area which will include equipment for less able children is particularly welcome and an excellent idea.”

Calais Street Recreation Ground Play Area improvement project, Hadleigh - £76,756.45
The proposal is to upgrade the play facilities provided at Calais Street in Hadleigh to create a more inclusive and accessible play area for local children and visitors. 

The upgraded play area will include inclusive equipment designed to support children with disabilities, incorporating sensory play features and ground‑level activities. These elements will encourage engagement, interaction, and shared play experiences for all children, supported by safe and appropriate surfacing throughout the site. 

Cllr Jane Carruthers, ward member for Hadleigh South, said: It’s good news that CIL funding is being used to improve the facilities at Hadleigh Leisure Centre which is needed for our growing population.”

Aubrey Drive Play Area project, Sudbury - £54,958.61
The proposal is to upgrade the play facilities provided at Aubrey Drive Play Area in Sudbury to create a more inclusive and accessible play area for local children and visitors. 

The play area will provide an engaging and inclusive environment where children can play and learn, supporting their physical, cognitive, and social development. It will be a space, that regardless of ability, children can go to enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation. 

Cllr Alison Owen, ward member for Sudbury North East, said: “I am so incredibly pleased to see that there will be new accessible swings at the park! True inclusivity starts with how we play and this is a massive step forward in making our community welcoming for every family.”

Great Cornard Library enhancement project - £19,517.17
This project will allow the addition of a children’s library to the new library space to make the space more appealing and usable by children, young people and families.  

The extra space provision for parent/carer and child activities including word play sessions, and also for visits and time spent together accessing books and other elements of the libraries offered.  

Cllr Ruth Hendry, ward member for Great Cornard, said: “This is fantastic news for Great Cornard library. The alterations will enable more families to use the library space and encourage children to discover the magic of reading books, but also support the many other services the library now offers. It ensures the library remains at the heart of the community and can adapt to future needs.”

Delegated decision:

Glemsford Village Hall, Old Library Room insulation and eco lighting project - £3,172.50
The project aims to create a warm, comfortable, affordable space suitable for meetings or small group activities at any time of day. There is currently no small meeting room available to hire at any other venue in the village so this will provide better accommodation and be likely to result in increased numbers of people using the village hall.