14/04/2026
Clarification following receipt of comments on the previous post regarding Shotley Play Areas:
Thank you for the comments. Just to clarify the funding position, as there seems to be some confusion.
The money being used for Kingsland is not simply one pot of money given for one specific site. It is made up of different elements.
- Part of it comes from earmarked reserves of £25,000 that the Parish Council has built up and set aside over several years for play area projects.
- Part of it comes from more recent CIL funding received from Babergh (this is for development that has been delivered).
-Part of it will come from another Babergh DC CIL "pot" which we are applying for and hope to receive (just under £30,000).
-Part of it comes from the £10,000 UKPN contribution towards play areas, following the extension works and resulting damage to Whiney Queech and the Heritage Park.
That UKPN £10,000 is specifically for play equipment, and while it will be helpful for Lloyd Road, it is only a relatively small contribution compared with the likely overall cost of replacing that play area.
Kingsland is being progressed first because it is the smaller of the two schemes and is expected to require less funding and less time to deliver. Once the contract for Kingsland has been awarded, the Council will continue progressing Lloyd Road, so there should not be a large gap between the two projects. We have explained in a previous post why the two areas were separated into two phases (20/11/2025).
It is also important to say that Shotley Gate has not been overlooked for investment. In recent years, there has been substantial spending there on the purchase of the Heritage Park, improvements and repairs to the foreshore footpath, the establishment of a Community Orchard, the divestment of the public toilets from BDC to the Parish Council, and other smaller additions and improvements (picnic tables, bins, water fountain, grit bins, etc). Taken together, these amount to tens of thousands of pounds of investment in Shotley Gate, considerably higher than in any other part of Shotley.
Any CIL contributions resulting from Barrelmans Point are only received once it's delivered. Phase 1 is still incomplete, so the Parish Council cannot rely on that income to deliver any capital investment.
Both play areas are important, and the Council remains committed to improving both. We are working to deliver them in the best possible way: securing funding as early as possible, keeping disruption to a minimum, and achieving the best end result for the parish, while also navigating the significant administrative and bureaucratic steps required along the way.
Thank you for your patience.
