A cricket club and a village solar power project are to receive a cash boost just shy of £90k, thanks to funds collected from developers by Babergh District Council.

At a meeting yesterday (Tuesday, 10 December), cabinet members voted to approve £89,910.65 worth of funding to go towards upgrading East Bergholt Cricket Club's practice facilities, and Glemsford Village Hall's solar project.

Of that, £61,886.25 will go towards increasing East Bergholt Cricket Club's practice facility capacity from two to four lanes, making room for more participants.

The remainder will go towards energy efficiency upgrades at Glemsford Village Hall, including the installation of a solar photovoltaic system with onsite battery storage meaning the building will be able to generate its own electrical power, reducing running costs.

CIL payments are legally required from developers of residential sites across the district and are then redistributed by Babergh District Council to help local facilities keep pace with housing growth. 

Bids made for CIL funding are regularly reviewed by the Council and earmarked for projects which help local infrastructure keep pace with developments happening in the districts. 

This is the thirteenth round of CIL funding available through the council since May 2018, and to date, £4.2 million has been allocated to infrastructure projects across Babergh.

Cllr Sallie Davies, Cabinet Member for Heritage Planning and Infrastructure at Babergh Suffolk District Council, said: "These projects are great examples of what CIL funding can be used for and highlight some of the great work going on within our district for the benefit of our communities.

"I am pleased that as a council, we are able to provide a helping hand to projects such as these and encourage local communities to make use of these facilities in the years to come."

Here is the full list of awards:

East Bergholt Cricket Club Practice Facility Upgrade - £61,886.25   

Cllr Davies, who is also ward member for East Bergholt, said: "The cricket club in East Bergholt is an important part of the village community.  

"As East Bergholt grows, this new facility will enable more people of all ages to hone their skills and enjoy being part of this successful, sociable cricket club."

Glemsford Village Hall Tye Green Solar Project - £28,024.40

Cllr Michael Holt, ward member for Chadacre, said: "This project, brought forward by Glemsford Parish Council for the Village Hall, will be of huge benefit to the Community with the expected reduction in running costs which have risen significantly due to increased energy charges.

"It's good to see CIL money being used for the Village Hall and a project like this as when it was extended recently CIL was not applied for. Introducing solar on this Public building is an excellent way in achieving the Parish Councils overall Climate ambitions."