Gilberdyke Parish Council has been offered approx. 35 acres of land surrounding the Ings View sports field. The existing site, on which the present sports facilities and Scout group are located was purchased by the Parish Council through the council precept in 1992, and is let to the Gilberdyke & District Leisure Assn (GDLA) and the Scouts for a peppercorn rent of £1 per year.
The Parish Council decided to proceed with the purchase of the land for further community leisure facilities (subject to conditions) and is due to enter negotiations with the landowner in the near future. Due to the relatively short timeframe it was agreed that the initial option be to purchase the additional land using the same method as the original site, by obtaining a mortgage and repaying through the precept, but at the same time looking for matched funding from external agencies.
It was a difficult decision for the Parish Council as it was a ‘one off opportunity’, but many members of the community have indicated that they would like more facilities for leisure especially for young people. Once the purchase of the land has gone through it will be up to the community to decide what facilities are required, but there is already an identified need for additional football pitches, but it may be that specific youth projects such as a BMX track or off road motorcycling can be accommodated.
In the short term this means an increase in the Council Tax for Gilberdyke residents, but the result will be an investment in something tangible for the community, and long lasting for future generations.
2 comments:
Council Tax increasing AGAIN ! Why don't you use our commuted sums money ?
Is'nt that what it is meant for?
If all your going to to is increase the precept everytime you want something then you won't be recieving my vote this May. We all ready pay 3 times more than some communities of the same size in the area.
Maybe we should start the same sort of club as North Cave (GCO) who met in the Jolly this week. GET CHARLIE OUT. If this is how you intend to continue IF you get in then again you won't get my vote for County Council either!
You are correct that the 'commuted sums' money held by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council can be used on projects such as this.
The Parish Council agreed many months ago, that the community should decide how this money will be used, and agreed to wait until the results of the soon-to-be published Parish Plan are known before a decision is made.
When one looks at funding for major community projects such as say a new Memorial Hall or community centre (which many people suggest is needed in Gilberdyke) there is invariably an amount of 'matched funding required' in order to obtain the large grants from funding bodies such as the National Lottery. Therefore the commuted sums money, if used wisely can be the lever that brings a very large amount of funding into the community.
The land that has been offered to the Parish Council was at relatively short notice and a decision had to be made. An amount of money was precepted to start the process of purchasing the land. But rest assured the Parish Council will be looking at other sources of funding for the full purchase of the land. (It should be noted that the original land on which the Ings View sports field was bought by the Parish Council on a mortgage and repaid from the precept).
The Parish Council is a democratic body and all decisions are made by agreement or majority vote, the meetings are open to the public and the Council's minutes and accounts are available for all to see.
We have the Parish Council elections on 3rd May and I am not aware of there yet being enough applicants to trigger an election in Gilberdyke, so please feel free to put your name forward and come on board and be part of the decision making process.
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