COMMUNITY projects in Poole will benefit from more than £700,000 provided by the neighbourhood portion of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).
A project to restore Hamworthy paddling pool will get a £150,000 funding boost, while £3,000 will go towards a nautical-themed community garden at Oakdale Library.
Work to restore a Mediterranean shrub border in Sandbanks will receive £400, and £1,000 will be used to maintain and enhance 20 planters in Upper Parkstone and Alderney.
The council invited community groups and businesses to submit bids for funding for projects that will help shape the development of their neighbourhood and improve the day-to-day life of local people.
The successful bids include garden restorations, new bus shelters, improvements to fixtures and fittings in community centres, and new road safety features.
Community groups and businesses can now bid for the next round of funding, which is open until April 30.
Julian McLaughlin, head of growth and infrastructure, said: “This forward thinking scheme has really captured our residents’ imagination. The quality of the bids was exceptionally high and we’re delighted to be supporting over 20 projects that will bring genuine and lasting benefit to the people of Poole.”
The paddling pool at Hamworthy Park has been a highlight for many visitors since the park opened in 1931. Pat Bullock, Friends of Hamworthy Park, which has been fundraising for the pool, said: “We thought it was going to be a long time before the pool was refurbished, but thanks to our successful bid for council CIL money and Viridor grant we can look forward to work starting on our much used and loved facility and the pool being restored and ready for use in the summer.”
The creation of a new, low maintenance, nautical-themed community garden called The Sea of Learning at Oakdale Library will complement the existing gardens and provide a usable and attractive space for the local community.
The Volunteers of Oakdale Garden Association will maintain this area along with the other gardens.
Ray Alderton, from the Oakdale Garden Association, said: “The gardens at Oakdale Library provide an important community facility for people to come together, spend time and enjoy and we are delighted that this award will now enable the gardens to be enhanced further.”
The Midway Path project in Sandbanks will restore the existing Mediterranean shrub border which was planted 12 years ago. The border will be maintained by the Sandbanks Residents Association.
A group of resident volunteers have taken over the management of 20 council-owned planters along Albert Road. The volunteers wish to introduce new plants, in particular species that enhance biodiversity, and to purchase more tools.
Anyone interested in submitting a bid is encouraged to discuss their ideas with their local ward councillors and relevant council officers as soon as possible. Funding can range from a couple of hundred pounds to over £100,000.
The council will work with applicants who were unsuccessful in the first round of bidding with a view to further developing their ideas for resubmission in future bidding rounds.
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