13 community initiatives benefit from £1.9 million investment
Communities across the district reaped the benefits of a £1.9 million investment last year as 13 projects funded through Winchester City Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) reached fruition.
The district CIL, raised from levies on new developments across the wider Winchester area and administered by the city council, helps fund local initiatives that contribute to communities and improve the lives of residents.
Among the projects realised last year was a new solar panel array on Jubilee Hall in Bishop’s Waltham, which completed in September.
Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council received £40,000 from the city council for the project which involved the installation of over 100 new solar panels at the hall. This is now helping reduce the parish council’s carbon emissions and lowering the running costs of the building.
With help from CIL, as well as other funding sources, the Parish Council has been working to make its operations more sustainable. A spokesperson from Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council said:
“Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council would like to thank Winchester City Council for providing two thirds of the funding for the installation of Solar Panels to the roof of The Jubilee Hall. The remaining funds came from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) neighbourhood funds.
Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council have also been successful in obtaining further funding from an SSEN Grant for additional solar battery storage. We are already seeing a reduction of our energy costs, and this is a significant milestone in the Council’s work towards decarbonisation of the Jubilee Hall.”
Another project, at Wickham Community Centre, received £30,000 towards installation of new access doors and flooring, helping visitors to access the centre. Speaking about the difference the funding had made, a centre spokesperson said:
“Wickham Community Centre, at over 30 years old, was showing signs of its age. The single-glazed front doors resulted in significant drafts, making the foyer cold and uncomfortable during winter, and driving up our utility bills. Additionally, the Long Room's appearance had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer suitable for showcasing. The floor was in poor condition, and the ceiling's soundproofing looked unsightly.
“We applied for CIL funding from Winchester City Council to undertake several refurbishment projects, including new front doors and a complete refurbishment of the Long Room. These were improvements we couldn't have financed independently, and we are extremely grateful for the funding. The new doors look fantastic and have made the centre more accessible, while also eliminating the drafts.
“The Long Room refurbishment has had a transformative effect. Long-term users, such as the Wickham Rifle Club, who have been with us since the centre opened 34 years ago, are particularly pleased. The new look has also attracted new hirers, boosting our trading income.”
Winchester’s Cabinet Member for Place and the Local Plan, Cllr Jackie Porter, said:
“CIL funding is a huge benefit to the Winchester district’s communities and I’m enormously proud that we’ve been able to provide a boost for a variety of initiatives that will help make improve our residents’ lives and make our local communities more sustainable.”
“It is exciting to see local initiatives come to fruition for our growing communities across the whole breadth of the district, from Wickham to Alresford, using CIL funding.”
Other projects that received support from the district CIL fund during 2024 included new play equipment at Eversley Park (£12,000), toilet refurbishments at Otterbourne Village Hall (£12,850) and works to upgrade allotments in New Alresford (£25,000).
Funding was also put towards council-led projects, including £300,000 towards a new 3G pitch for Winchester Football Club and £1,250,000 spent on the new Pavilion at King George V Playing Fields.
The City Council also recently published a funding statement that details funding allocations for the 2023/ 2024 financial year.
The statement can be viewed on the City Council’s website at www.winchester.gov.uk/CIL-spending.
The full list of community projects that came to fruition last year can be found below:
Community-Led Projects:
- Play Equipment at Eversley Park - £12,000
- Multi-purpose communal space, insulated roof and fire exits at St Barnabas Church - £50,000
- Wickham Community Centre access doors and refurbishments - £30,011
- Jubilee Hall Solar Panels - £40,000
- New hard standing, storage provision and water supply pipes at New Alresford Allotment - £25,000
- Wickham Primary School Pre-School Outdoor Play Area - £21,000
- St Johns Ambulance Hall Bishops Waltham Purchase - £40,000
- Shedfield Reading Rooms Insulated Roof - £15,000
- Otterbourne Village Hall Toilet Refurbishment - £12,850
- Oliver’s Battery Playground - £10,000
Council-Led Projects:
- Winchester Football Club 3G Pitch - £300,000
- KGV Pavilion - £1,250,000
- KGV Park Project - approximately £110,000