Funding for Parkfield Road plans tops £200,000

SITA Trust has awarded the council a £35,000 grant to create an outdoor gym at the revamped former allotments off Parkfield Road - taking the project's total funding past the £200,000 mark.

The council and the Newbold-on-Avon Community Partnership have now launched a public consultation on the design of the green space's play area and outdoor gym.

The revamp plans were drawn up after around 37,000 square metres of land was returned to the council following the construction of the town's Western Relief Road.

The project masterplan includes a park, play area, gym equipment, wildlife zones, allotments, nature play trail, picnic area, sensory garden and butterfly bank.

A £100,000 grant from the Veolia Environmental Trust has paved the way to create the park and wildlife zones, while Waste Recycling Environmental Limited (WREN) has funded the play area with a grant of £75,000.

The Woodland Trust has also supported the project by donating 5,300 trees.

Work to clear the site - which had remained untouched for more than a decade - was carried out earlier this year, with new gates and fencing also installed.

The council plans to start work on the park over the summer, with work on the play area and outdoor gym set to follow later this year.

Cllr Lisa Parker, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for sustainable environment, said: "The council has worked closely with Newbold residents to develop these ambitious plans for the former allotment site and I'm delighted our ambition has been matched by the generosity of SITA Trust, WREN and the Veolia Environmental Trust.

"By working together we're creating a real asset for Newbold residents and a flagship green space which Rugby can be proud of."

Leaflets promoting the public consultation have been circulated in Newbold.

Cllr Claire Edwards, ward councillor for Newbold and Brownsover and one of the founders of the Newbold-on-Avon Community Partnership, said: "When the partnership started work with the council on the Parkfield Road project we could never have imagined securing more than £200,000 in funding for our plans.

"It's been a real community effort from the beginning and I'd urge all Newbold residents to take part in this latest consultation on the play area and outdoor gym."

Marianne Ivin, of SITA Trust, said: "This is a great project to convert an area of derelict land into a useable and vibrant community space.

"We are delighted the award of our funding has helped to bring everything together. Outdoor gym equipment is a popular addition to many recreation spaces and we look forward to seeing the whole project taking shape over the coming months."

SITA Trust, WREN and the Veolia Environmental Trust award funding for environmental projects through the Landfill Communities Fund.

The fund has supported environmental projects with more than £1.4 billion since 1997.