Local projects get windfall of more than £235,000

More than £185,000 of that funding is going to projects in the Lutterworth area.

Harborough District Council agreed to allocate the funding, on 16 September 2020.

The projects are benefiting from Section 106 money which is provided by developers for community projects and social infrastructure in locations where development has taken place.

Those projects which have successfully applied for funding are:

• Lutterworth Athletic FC – £80,742.25 for additional changing rooms including female and officials changing room to increase the playing and changing capacity to meet the ongoing increased demands for football at the club and the surrounding schools in the district and encourage participation for all users, plus classroom exterior seating and artificial turf pitch
• Gilmorton Recreation Ground – £53,714 for multi-use climbing frame
• Robert Smyth Academy – £34,607.50 for acoustic fencing and bunding, including improved accessibility to the car park, which is an addition to the wider project to build a full size, flood-lit artificial grass pitch hockey court that will accommodate the local hockey league and allow for community usage
• Lutterworth Rugby Club – £30,000 for outdoor maintenance and equipment shed and groundwork preparation for phase 2 of the changing room project
• Claybrooke Magna Village Hall – £17,925 for the installation of a new kitchen in the village hall
• Shangton Parish Meeting – £6,900 to upgrade the pathway leading up to Shangton Church to ensure it is suitable for wheelchairs
• Market Harborough Lawn and Tennis Club – £4,470 for fencing, a new entrance gate and a second disabled access gate 
• Claybrooke Magna Parish Council – £3,422.96 to improve the accessibility and safety of the footpath by installing steps, barriers, an improved handrail and adding kerbs
• South Kilworth Bowls Club – £2,821.77 for the renewal and enhancement of the bowling green ditch and green surrounds
• Harborough District Council’s Health and Wellbeing Team – £1,403.30 to provide additional bike parking facilities in and around the town of Market Harborough, particularly Welland Park
• Houghton Gardeners Club – £1,192.21 for a petrol driven chipper for recycling wood waste and associated accessories

Cllr Simon Whelband, Harborough District Council’s Cabinet lead for Wellbeing, Communities & Housing said: “We are delighted that a number of exciting local projects will benefit from this significant amount of funding which will enhance community facilities to the benefit of residents.”

People are invited to submit grant applications during the next round of funding; details will be made available on the council's website at www.harborough.gov.uk/grants