Broadclyst residents vote for outdoor sports

People in the parish of Broadclyst have had their say on how to spend money on outdoor sports in the town - and they've opted to support a broad range of very different schemes.

In a joint project run between Broadclyst Parish Council and East Devon District Council, residents voted on how they would like £11,800 to be spent on outdoor sports in the community. Well over 100 Broadclyst residents took part in the voting.

The funding for these projects (Section 106 money) is available as a result of a number of housing developments in Broadclyst. Section 106 money is collected from developers and spent by EDDC, which has opted to involve the community in how it allocates these funds.

Earlier this year, people who live in Broadclyst (which includes Westwood, Budlake, Westclyst, Broadclyst Station, Cranbrook and Blackhorse) were asked how they would like £11,800 of this Section 106 sports funding to be spent.

Five eligible and affordable proposals were received from individuals, community groups and sports organisation. At Broadclyst Fun Day on 28 June, residents were asked by EDDC and Broadclyst Parish Council to vote on which of these proposals they most wanted to see happen.

• The most popular project, which will receive £9,000, is for an outdoor gym, several pieces of traditional gym style equipment suitable for outdoor use. Nearly half of all the votes cast were for this project.
• The second most popular project, which will also be funded, was for £1,000 to put two football sized goals into the recreation field in Broadclyst. These will create a full sized pitch in the football season and will be moved to create a kickabout area the rest of the year.
• There is also enough money to pay for the third most popular project. This was a £1,250 scheme to improve the outside practice area at Broadclyst Cricket Club by levelling out the uneven surface that currently makes batting practice dangerous.

These results will be presented to Broadclyst Parish Council for ratification at their next Full Council meeting on Monday 7 July.

Cllr Chris Pepper, Broadclyst Parish Council Chairman, said: “Saturday’s village annual Fun Day provided the ideal opportunity for residents to vote for their favourite sports projects. Despite a somewhat soggy start to the day, attendance picked up through the day and it was rewarding to see all age groups on the field getting involved in helping shape the future of sports provision in their community.

"Not all suggested projects met the criteria for this funding; Council will now look at how other gaps in formal sports provision which were highlighted during the initial consultation period can be addressed. Well done to all involved!”.

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. This has been a fantastic opportunity for the people of Broadclyst to really make a difference. I’m looking forward to seeing the projects being delivered”.

The two remaining projects that did not get enough support and so will NOT be funded with the £11,800 were:

• Creating a spectator area and scoring area next to the pitch at Broadclyst Cricket Club. Project cost: £1,200
• Installing sight screens at Broadclyst Cricket Club. Project cost: £2,750