Hat-trick of sports projects for Honiton

A £50,000 cash pot will allow Honiton to deliver three much-needed and called-for sporting projects.

The funding has come from Section 106 sports money - cash collected by East Devon District Council (EDDC) from developers as part of planning agreements.

Honiton Town Council and EDDC have worked together to ask individuals, as well as sports organisations, voluntary and community groups for their ideas about how it should be spent.

In all, ten proposals were submitted but only three were eligible, affordable and possible.

Councillor Iain Chubb, EDDC’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We are committed to making sure that local people have their say about where money from developments in their parish gets spent, and are one of the few local authorities that do so. On this occasion, we can fund all the projects that the community has put forward.”

One purchase will be a petanque court at Mountbatten Sports and Social Club. The facility, which will cost a maximum of £14,400, which will save petanque players from having to travel out of the town to play.

Money will also be spent on a sports wall at Allhallows Field, containing a netball or basketball goal, in particular to provide an extra facility for young people. This will cost £15,000.

The final instalment will be for a safety barrier around one of the Allhallows Field rugby pitches.

This will help to bring the facilities up to the standard of other clubs playing at their level and will meet some of the Rugby Football Union safety recommendations. The club bid for £20,500 for the supply of materials, and will provide the funding for machinery hire and labour costs itself.

Mr Chubb added: “I am looking forward to seeing the completed projects installed and being used by residents.”

Planning permission will be needed for the projects at Honiton Rugby Club and Mountbatten Sports and Social Club. The sports wall project has been agreed by EDDC, which owns the land it would go on.