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Cabinet Approved Community Grants Scheme

Application Form

Please return to: Central Support Team, East Hampshire District Council, Penns Place, Petersfield, Hampshire GU31 4EX or support.team@easthants.gov.uk

Please answer all of the questions on the following pages; you should have the appendix in an accompanying document. We would prefer to receive applications electronically but handwritten applications will also be accepted (please do not adjust any existing text). Please allow at least 4 weeks for your application to be processed.

In order to save your time please consider these questions before you complete the application form:

1. Is your application for more than £5000?

2. Is your project outside the East Hampshire District Council Area

3. Has your project already started?

4. Does your organisation have more than 1 year’s running costs within unallocated reserves?

5. Do you have all required permissions to carry out your project e.g. Landlords permission, Planning Permission etc

If you have answered “yes” to Question 1-4 or no to question 5 it is likely that you are not eligible for a grant from the Cabinet Approved Community Grants scheme. Applicants must fulfil all of the criteria which can be found in appendix A. If you are not certain or require help completing this form please contact the relevant officer for your area, see appendix A for details.

1. Name of Project: Replacement Equipment for Froxfield and Privett Parish Council Playground

2. Charity number:

Applicable only if you are a registered charity.

3. Amount Requested: £1,200.96

Applications will be decided by Cabinet, applicants must contact their local ward councilor prior to submitting their application.

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4. Project description:

a. Please describe what you are going to do:

The playground equipment ranges from five to in excess of twenty years old and as proved by recent report (HPFA September 2014) is well maintained and in good order (see Photographs in Appendix). It is therefore proposed to lay new Safagrass or equivalent protective surfacing around all playground equipment which has a fall height warranting impact protection to comply with current safety standards. At the same time install ground mesh below the new surfacing to prolong its effective life. Currently the protective surfacing is too far below to comply with current safety standards. The method of laying such Safagrass is to lay it on soil and seed it with grass seed or lay on existing turf. The grass grows through combining with the Safagrass thus making a soft surface in case of accident. Over a period of time the Safagrass sinks under the soil which becomes hard in dry spells and is therefore an additional hazard. The representative of the Hampshire Playing Fields Association has advised that ground works to lay mesh under the new Safagrass and grass seeding will improve safety; and comply with current safety standards.

Currently playbark is laid under the slide which can become a hazard due to compaction of the bark and soil. An added issue is the fact that the slide is surrounded by a wooden edging to prevent the bark being dispersed. Froxfield and Privett Parish Council (“the PC”) has been made aware that this will now form an additional safety hazard if a child tripped and fell on or against this wooden structure. The installation of Safagrass surfacing will remove this obstacle.

In addition on the swings for infant children (installed 2004) the rubber coating on the cradle seats has perished and split open and it is proposed to install new cradle seats on the existing frame.

b. How many people will benefit and how will they benefit:

The playground is located in the largest settlement in the Parish of Froxfield and Privett (“the Parish”); and is also adjacent to both Froxfield Village Hall (“FVH”) and the Froxfield Primary School (“the Primary School”). Children who attend the Primary School and the nursery school located at FVH use the playground before and after school or nursery school; when it also becomes a meeting place for parents supervising their children. In addition children who live in the Parish but who attend other neighbourhood schools use the playground in the afternoon and evenings during the summer and at weekends throughout the year. There is an ageing population in the Parish; therefore an added advantage for the local population of the Parish is that the playground is a useful facility to enable grandchildren to “let off steam” during family visits.

c. How can you demonstrate that there is a need for this project?

The playground has been closed since the end of June 2014 initially upon advice from the insurance brokers of the PC; the playground inspector from a company called Playdale Playgrounds Ltd who provided a comprehensive safety report of the playground; and later upon the advice of the representative of the Hampshire Playing Fields Association who warned that as an accident had taken place the PC would be vulnerable to any further claim if children were allowed to use the playground. Although no action or further investigation was identified as required in previous inspections, this year’s annual playground inspection on July 1 2014 identified there was a moderate risk of accident due to sinking of the existing Matta surfacing under the three main play units (surfacing installed in 2009).

d. Any additional information:

Advice has been obtained from Hampshire Playing Fields Association and so far quotes have been obtained from three playground contractors. Annual inspection and HPFA have both confirmed that the playground equipment is sound and well maintained.

The overall cost of the project for which grant funding is being sought is for:

1. the installation of new protective surfacing around infant swings (18 sqm), junior swings (52.5sqm), junior climber playframe (64.08sqm), slide unit (49.6sqm)

2. Replacement cradle seat units on infant swings.

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5. Project cost breakdown:

Item or Activity (Please provide evidence of the cost e.g. quote) Cost

1. Installation of new protective surfacing around infant swings (18 sqm), junior swings (52.5sqm), junior climber playframe (64.08sqm), slide unit (49.6sqm)

As per G.B. Sports &Leisure Uk Ltd quote dated 22/09/2014

6,655.00

2. Supply 2 no. cradle seat units on infant swings.

Delivery and Installation

As per Playdale Playgrounds Ltd quote dated 24/07/2014

159.96

150.00

Total Project Cost: 6,964.96

6. Funding: Amount

Confirmed grants (please name funders e.g. Parish Council) :

Other grants awaiting decision (please name funder):

EHDC Developer Contributions

SDNPA Developer Contributions

HPFA

2,210.00

2,554.00

1,000.00

Income from other sources (e.g. Ticket Sales, Club Funds, etc.)

Other “in-kind” contributions (if applicable, see guidance note for definition):

EHDC Cabinet Approved Community Grant (your application amount in question 6): 1200.96

Total Funding: 6964.96

7. Does your organisation have a Child Protection Policy and/or a Vulnerable Persons Policy? (Please include a copy with your application)

The Child Protection Policy is under preparation using model policies supplied by EHDC and will be presented at the next parish council meeting on 13 November for approval.

When was this adopted?

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8. If this application involves a young people’s project, please state how they were involved in the decision making process

No involvement. A request will be made in the November parish magazine for the views of the residents of the parish on the future of the playground.

9. Please tell us how you will ensure your project is accessible to those with disabilities.

Re accessibility, the 2014 Annual Inspection Report grades the playground as accessible: being an area totally accessible to those with severe disability. Children with disabilities access the playground using the gate adjacent to the village hall car park and do currently use the playground although it does not contain equipment adapted for children with disabilities.

10. Please provide any other supporting information that you feel is relevant to the project or funding application?

There is widespread local support for the re-opening of the playground and an urgent need to secure funds to do this.