THE FINAL amount of a £400,000 fund paid by housing developers for community benefits has been allocated.
The cash was paid by the developers of new housing at Crick Road, Portskewett as a contribution towards adult recreation schemes in the local area.
Funding was allocated earlier this year towards developing the former Ministry of Defence railway line between Caldicot and Portskewett as a foot and cycle path as well as for improvements to the connected route through Caldicot Castle Country Park.
Monmouthshire County Council’s cabinet has now approved allocating the remaining funds, paid under what is known as a section 106 legal agreement attached to the 2018 planning permission, towards public toilets at Portskewett Recreation Hall and a contribution to a new skate park in Caldicot.
The new toilet at the recreation hall, which will be externally accessible, is intended to be used by people visiting the Cornfield recreation area and users of the multi-use path, the former MoD railway line.
It is expected the £133,000 budget will cover the full cost of the improvement and new toilet which is estimated at £130,604
The remaining £100,000 in the fund is to be allocated to a new skate park in Caldicot, which has already been identified by the town’s placemaking group as “the main priority for the town centre regeneration scheme”.
That group, of councillors and community representatives, has already put £150,000 towards the skate park meaning the available funding is now £250,000.
A report for the Labour/Green Party cabinet said that will “provide a much stronger base for seeking additional funding” if required when overall costs are known following completion of the next design stage.
Cabinet member Councillor Sara Burch described the public toilets as “very important” and said they would make the Cornfield area and the path “much more usable”.
She said: “That closes the section 106 funding from the Crick Road site and ensures it goes some way towards securing much needed recreation improvements.”
The council’s Labour leader Mary Ann Brocklesby praised Portskewett’s Conservative councillor, Lisa Dymock, and Caldicot members for supporting the projects.
The Llanelly Hill councillor said: “This is how we want our section 106 money to be used. I know Cllr Dymock will be delighted, she has been lobbying for this improvement for some time and I know councillors in Caldicot will be delighted with the contribution towards the skate park. It is something young people in Caldicot have been asking for for some time now.”
The cabinet agreed to create two capital budgets, for each project, this year with the funding transferred from the section 106 balances held by the council.
