CIL Funded Projects – West Sussex

CIL Funded Projects – West Sussex

Detailed here are a selection of some of the projects based in West Sussex that have been funded through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

This is not an exhaustive list and as such this page will be updated on a regular basis as new projects are delivered.

For further information on CIL funded projects not listed please contact cil@southdowns.gov.uk.

• Amberley Community Car Park

  Amberley Parish Council was awarded £35,000 in CIL funding towards their new car park project. The aims were; to provide a convenient and safe drop-off and collection space for parents taking children to and from Amberley Primary School, to provide a visitor car park, and to improve the free flow of traffic throughout the village as well as pedestrian safety.

  The project was completed in November 2022 and is being well used by parents, locals and visitors alike.

• Arundel – New Map at Town Quay

  Arundel Town Council were awarded £3,000 in CIL funding for a new New Map / Information Board at Town Quay to replace a previous map.

  The map helps visitors to find their way around Arundel. But it also expresses the character the Heritage town, with its independent shops, historic listed buildings, and its wonderful leisure facilities, set on the banks of the River Arun amidst beautiful countryside.

• Bury C of E Primary School – Classroom Extension

  Bury C of E Primary School, which is a South Downs Ambassador School, was awarded £200,000 in CIL funding for a new modular classroom.

  The school has seen a huge increase in interest for attendance in recent years, partially attributed to the ambassador school status, and as such the pupil numbers have risen rapidly. The Yr 5/6 classroom was particularly small and as these larger admissions in the lower year groups progress through the school, additional space was going to be needed.

  Years 5/6 now have a new, larger classroom fit for their needs, enhancing learning and pupil wellbeing. This has also freed up additional space within school for learning interventions and meetings.

  

  

• Bury C of E Primary School – toilet refurbishment

  Bury CE Primary School were awarded £10,000 in CIL funding for improvements to the toilet facilities at the school.

  Bury Primary School allows its facilities to be used by the local community. The refurbishment and extension of the existing toilets will improve the facilities provided for local community groups and the pupils at the school. School funding will be improved through potential new rentals due to improved facilities.

  The project was completed in April 2022 and has resulted in happier children more confident to use the facilities plus better facilities to offer community groups wishing to hire the school premises.

• Easebourne Park Phase 2 Works

  Easebourne Parish Council were awarded over £80,000 to help rejuvenate Easebourne Play Park, which has since received the “People’s Choice Design Award” from the SDNPA.

  The CIL funds have been used to purchase designated BBQ pits, picnic benches, play equipment, and a notice board and lost property hub. The myriad of improvements mean that users are able to extend their stays in the park and create a central hub for Easebourne village.

  In 2020, the park also introduced a new scooter track, aimed at children ages 3-10yrs. The markings on the track serve to create early education on highway safety, and ultimately provide endless enjoyment and exercise to children.
  One mum said “Our son absolutely loved it! The road markings and speed bumps were great fun, and we were really impressed by the creativity and variety in the park!”

  In 2023 the final phase of the project was completed with the addition of two permanent WC facilities, enabling visitors to stay for longer without having to worry about finding facilities elsewhere.

  

  

• Fernhurst Sports Pavilion modernisation

  £200,000 in CIL funding was awarded to the Fernhurst Recreation Ground Trust to modernise and expand the 50 year old sports pavilion on the Recreation Ground in Fernhurst.

  The projects aims were to expand and modernise the sports pavilion, as well as providing a café and events space for the whole communities use.
  Sports users now have safe, clean and appropriate changing facilities which meet the regulations of the various national sports bodies. Disabled access was a major element that was missing from the previous building and feedback from users with these needs about the improved environment has all been very positive.

  The project had strong support from both the local community and the sports clubs and on the late spring Bank Holiday Monday a Festival of Sport Community Event was held to celebrate the opening of the new pavilion. Four teams completed across three different sports, Cricket, Football and Tennis with an overall winner receive the Community Cup. The event was well attended by the local community and invited guests who had contributed to the funding of the project.

• Findon Play Facilities

  Findon Parish Council, in collaboration with Arun District Council were awarded over £30,000 to help rejuvenate Findon Homewood Play Area. Improvements were required to provide replacement play equipment and better play opportunities for a wider age range of children, whilst using natural materials to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape of the South Downs National Park. The works took place in Spring 2022 and the play area is now being enjoyed by the local community.

  

  

• Fittleworth Heathland Restoration at Hesworth Common

  Fittleworth Parish Council was awarded £9,000 in CIL funding for the restoration of the heathland at Hesworth Common. The works have included the removal of birch trees to reduce shading and encourage heather growth, scrapes carried out in the heather areas creating habitat for reptiles, ponds have been formed in the bog area to encourage Sundew. Established areas of heather have been maintained by volunteers who have spent over 70 volunteer days bracken “whacking. Volunteers have also concentrated on bracken control on the existing areas of heathland and management of the bog area – raking purple moor grass and removing birch and bracken.Additional funds have been spent on Barn Owl, Kestrel and Bat boxes, and ground nesting bird signage.

  

  

• Fittleworth Tree Planting at Birchwalk Woods

  Fittleworth Parish Council was awarded £1,500 in CIL funding for Tree Planting at Birchwalk Woods in Fittleworth.

  The Birchwalk Woods Working Group have carried out clearance of invasive and undesirable vegetation growth, such as Holly, Bracken and Bramble, as well as self-seeded Birch saplings. The group has planted 130 saplings, mainly English Oak with some Rowan and Wild Cherry. In addition some Holly saplings have been transplanted to more appropriate locations. A new pathway has been created to improve access, but also to guide visitors away from the areas where the group is planting and habitat they want to protect. The work has been carried out by a mix of volunteers and contractors.

• Goodwood Seeley Copse Education Centre

  The Goodwood Education Trust welcomes over 3,000 children each year to Seeley Copse for educational visits. The Trust give the opportunity for children to immerse themselves in the countryside and learn about where their food comes from and understand how the natural environment plays a part in it. The previous education facility was inadequate, with insufficient space for wet weather activities, and unsuitable access for disabled students and visitors.

  Goodwood Education Trust received a £40,000 CIL grant towards a new purpose built Education Centre at Seeley Copse.

  The new facility will provide much needed wet weather learning space, unisex toilets and a kitchen, all fully accessible for disabled users. The enhanced education centre can facilitate year round outside the classroom learning, with space for up to 80 children inside. Additional activities such as crafts, scientific exploration, and cooking, all using local produce, are able to be added to the existing program, expanding understanding and knowledge about the natural environment.

• Iping Common Access Improvements

  Sussex Wildlife Trust were awarded £19,000 in CIL funding towards their access improvements project. The site has multiple entrances including from the car park with vehicular, bridleway and kissing gates. During the autumn and winter months the access points would become waterlogged. 10 entry points onto Iping and Stedham Commons were surfaced with a local stone in order to create dry, level access for visitors on foot, bicycle, and horseback. It also improved access and two major entry points for SWT and emergency vehicles. The result is much better accessibility onto the nature reserve for the public in all weathers throughout the year, and in addition these entry points are more aesthetically welcoming to visitors.

  

  

• Lavant Play Area Equipment

  Lavant Parish Council were awarded £50,000 for the replacement and renewal of the Churchmead Playground in the Village.
  Improvements were required to create a playground with a unique natural character whilst providing an attractive, safe place to play for children from a wide age group and with different access requirements

  The works took place in Spring 2022 and the play area is now being enjoyed by the local community.

  

  

• Lavant Village Green

  Lavant Parish Council were awarded £2,000 in CIL funds for the restoration of the village green. The works included, reseeding of the village green and adjacent sports field and application of fertilizer where necessary. The football field has also been verti-drained to aerate and reduce compaction and it has had 40 tons of top dressing to improve soil quality.

  The project was completed in May 2024 and since then weed growth has been significantly reduced and the quality and cover of the grass has improved dramatically.

• Levin Down – access improvements and new walking routes

  Sussex Wildlife Trust were awarded £16,400 in CIL funding towards their access improvements project. The site has multiple entrances including from the car park with vehicular, bridleway and kissing gates. During the autumn and winter months the access points would become waterlogged. The new gates and refurbished steps have aided visitor access to a Rights of Way footpath and a permissive path to an otherwise tricky to access high wildlife value area, with a great view. The gates and water troughs have also improved security and flexibility for our livestock grazing of the chalk grassland, allowing us to deliver grazing in a way that can target specific areas and close off from grazing animals when needed.

  

  

• Lilac Cottage Refurbishment

  Midhurst Town Council was awarded £15,000 in CIL funding for the refurbishment of Lilac Cottage, (part of the Old Library) into a community hub.

  The project has refurbished an important grade II building in the centre of the Midhurst conservation area, keeping all existing original features, but ensuring it is fully practical as office space for the Town Council, for community use by Midhurst Community Hub and a small room to hire.

  

  

• Midhurst Green Walkway

  Midhurst Vision Partnership CIC were awarded £25,000 in CIL funding to create an attractive link between The Grange Leisure Centre and the Old Town part of Midhurst. The project has removed some hardstanding and has landscaped the area with more trees, wildflower meadow and native hedge as well as creating a proper path through, linking the car park with the old town. Welcome, interpretation and wayfinding signs have also been added to create a sense of arrival and information for visitors.

  The project has transformed the area into a green haven for visitors, residents and local workers to enjoy. A large contemporary curved bench provides a wonderful sculptural feature and a place for people to relax and enjoy the garden. Footfall in this area has increased since the project’s completion.

• Petworth Market Square Improvements

  Petworth Town Council were awarded £3,000 in CIL funding for a new dropped kerb in Petworth Market Square on the footway on the corner of The Cut adjacent to the Leconfield Hall. The dropped kerb has enabled residents and visitors with access needs, as well as those using prams, and buggies to navigate crossing the road more safely.

• Petworth Leconfield Hall Improvements

  £20,000 in CIL funding has been spent at the Leconfield Hall in Petworth to upgrade the seating in the upstairs auditorium.

  Major works to the upstairs auditorium of the Hall took place previously to enable the Hall to open a community cinema in the multi-use community building. The cinema has been a great success both by involving many more local people and by boosting funds to maintain the Hall.

  The award of CIL funding allowed the tired seating to be replaced and to include much needed hand rails on the raked seating.

• Petworth Sylvia Beaufoy Pedestrian Crossing

  Crossing a busy road has become easier and safer thanks to a new signalised pedestrian crossing. The crossing was requested by Petworth Town Council and the work was carried out by West Sussex County Council. The A272, near Downview Road, is a main road and has to be crossed by many children using the bus service to Midhurst Rother College and residents and visitors accessing Petworth Sports Ground and Petworth Deer Park.

  Some £40,000 of CIL funding and Section 106 money, administered by the SNDPA has contributed to the £110,000 scheme.

• South Harting – installation of Road Crossing

  South Harting Parish Council was awarded £35,000 in CIL funding to build a crossing over a busy road, which runs through the centre of the village, to create a safer means of access to the only play area, open access space and recreational facility in the village, South Gardens.
  The new crossing includes ramp access to ensure the area is accessible for those with access requirements.

  

  

• Stedham with Iping Recreation Ground – Common View
  A total of £29,750 was awarded to Stedham with Iping Parish Council over multiple phases to replace the play equipment at Common View in Stedham.
  The projects aims were to replace or repair the play equipment as well as install new equipment which would provide better play opportunities for a wide age range of children and also to enable access for all, whilst using natural materials to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape of the South Downs National Park.The works took place in four phases, the first was completed in January 2021 and the second in June 2022. Phase three was completed in October 2023 and the fourth phase, which provided a DDA compliant Roundabout together with a bonded rubber access path, suitable for wheelchairs, and a new pedestrian gate was completed in October 2024. The play area is now being enjoyed by the local community.
  

  

  

• Stedham with Iping Recreation Ground – Village Green
  Stedham with Iping Parish Council were awarded over £10,000 to help rejuvenate the Village Green in Stedham.
  Improvements were required to provide replacement play equipment and better play opportunities for a wide age range of children and also to enable access for all, whilst using natural materials to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape of the South Downs National Park.The works took place in two phases, the first was completed in January 202 and the second in June 2022. The play area is now being enjoyed by the local community.
  

  

  

• Sylvia Beaufoy Youth Centre solar panels

  £50,000 in CIL funding has been spent at the Sylivia Beaufoy Centre in Petworth for the installation of solar panels on the roof.

  The Sylvia Beaufoy Centre offers a range of open-access positive activities for young people aged 9 to 19. Sessions are arranged taking account of the needs and interests of the young people who attend the Centre from Petworth and the surrounding area and the aim is to give opportunities to all young people, to gain informal learning qualifications and skills for living.

  The solar panel project provides a sustainable electricity supply for the Centre, reducing the Centre’s outgoings on electric and re diverting the saved money into the young people the centre supports.

• Tree planting at Hollycombe Primary School

  Hollycombe Primary School in Milland was awarded £4,000 in CIL funding for their tree planting project.

  The aim of the project was to replace an area of Leylandii on the field boundary with a native hedge and trees which will be more in keeping with the school environment and will also provide nature interest and shade for the pupils.

  The children have already showed an interest in the growing trees which ties in with the schools ethos that pupils should play within their natural environment whilst respecting the flora.

• West Ashling and Funtington District Hall Refurbishment Project

  £30,000 in CIL funding has been spent on upgrading and improving the facilities at West Ashling and Funtington District Hall.

  The projects aims were to upgrade the kitchen and improve the energy efficiency of the building.

  The project has enabled hall users to enjoy a much safer space and allow a greater range of activities to take place in the hall, which will be enjoyed by a greater range of people.

  The hall now has a hygienic and safe kitchen, smoke detectors have been fitted together with new storage heaters a new hot water heater and the main entrance doors and the fire exist doors have been replaced making the hall safer and more secure.

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