AS villagers in Killinghall complete the £25,000 purchase of their own village green 'The Glebe', Harrogate Borough Council has given them a £17,000 boost to help reach their final target of £90,000. 

 

A £5,000 grant from the council's parish playground grant scheme has been added to £12,000 the council has received from developers in the area who are required under its planning policy to provide funds for public open space.

 

Using the borough council's money as 'matched' funding, the Killinghall local fund-raising group has successfully obtained a further £25,000 towards the scheme from WREN under the landfill tax credit scheme.

 

Mrs Anne Holdsworth, Chair of Killinghall Parish Council who has been helping co-ordinate the grant funding applications says they couldn't have done it without the extra support of staff from the council.   She said:  "We are extremely grateful for the funding which the council has provided.  But we have also had huge support from council staff.  I would like to thank in particular Mark Hardcastle, Leisure Services Manager, Deb Wright, Parks Development Manager and Bernard White, recently retired Chief Estates Officer.  Their knowledge and experience of weaving through land registration, grant applications and developing plans for the village green have been invaluable."

 

"This is a great example of the local council working alongside the community and the parish council, to achieve something really special for our village".

 

The race is now on to raise the rest of the funds to complete the project, which will involve draining the land, installing a children's equipped play area, footpath and seating. 

 

ENDS