Cornwall Council’s Cabinet have agreed to provide £500,000 for the scheme to extend and upgrade the Community Centre at Threemilestone.
They have also supported the use of funding from s106 planning commitments for the Langarth Garden Village scheme to provide new playing pitches in Threemilestone and carry out improvements to the public realm in the centre of the village.
This is great news for the local community and we are delighted to have worked with the Council to progress these schemes and secure this funding.
Investing in community projects
When Cornwall Council made the decision to take on a proactive role in planning and delivering the new integrated community at Langarth last year, one of its key priorities was to ensure that local facilities and services in existing communities such as Threemilestone do not come under pressure as a result of the scheme, and that Langarth supports improvements for existing residents as well as new ones.
While funding for new community facilities would normally come from land sales and be delivered towards the end of the development, the Council agreed that some of the funding from the £159 million it had allocated to support the development of a masterplan and key infrastructure for the whole site could be used to provide early investment in a number of specific community projects.
We share the Council’s commitment to ensuring that our project improves the lives of people already living in Truro and surrounding areas, as well as the new residents who will be moving into Langarth in the future and welcome today’s decision by the Cabinet.
Threemilestone Community Centre extension
An application for planning permission for the Community Centre extension has already been submitted to the Council. If planning permission is granted, work on the first phase –which includes a new entrance foyer, improved access and fully accessible public toilets -will begin within the next few weeks and should be completed by the end of March.
The confirmation of this funding means that as well as delivering the first phase of the project, we can continue to work will the local community to develop and implement further phases of the project.
Improving the community centre will bring great benefits to Threemilestone, providing more space for community events and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the building which lies at the heart of the village.
We are very proud to be supporting this much needed and long awaited project and can’t wait to see the community’s exciting vision become reality.
You can find out more information about how we are working with the Community Centre management committee on our website: https://www.langarth.co.uk/supporting-threemilestone-community-centre/
Providing new playing pitches and upgrading the public realm
As part of the planning process legal agreements can be made between an applicant seeking planning permission and the local planning authority.
Known as Section 106 agreements, they often require a financial contribution from the applicant which can then be used to mitigate the impact of the development on the local community and infrastructure. The amount of the contribution is based on the size and scale of the proposed development and they are dependent on planning permission being given for the scheme.
While work is currently taking place to determine the s106 agreements for this scheme, the Cabinet have agreed that, if planning permission for the Garden Village is approved next year, some of the funding can be used to provide new playing pitches in Threemilestone and to carry out improvements to the public realm in the village centre.
The proposal for the playing pitches includes a new full-sized sports pitch, and a smaller junior sports field, together with a changing room facility and café kiosk, which would sit alongside the new sports and wellbeing hub at Threemilestone Primary School and the existing playing field owned by Kenwyn Parish Council.
As well as providing a dedicated facility for the local village football team, the pitches would also be used for any other community sports events.
The proposed public realm upgrades focus on reducing the current traffic congestion and traffic flow issues in Threemilestone by removing the central roundabout and re aligning the road through the centre of the village.
This will enable additional parking spaces to be provided, improving access to local businesses, as well as and access and parking to the doctors surgery, pharmacy, and health provision that will directly support and provide for the requirements of LGV as agreed with the CCG.
A new pedestrian and cycleway link will connect Threemilestone village directly to Langarth, with new green spaces, landscaping and tree planting provided to enhance the village ‘feel’.
While the use of this funding is dependent on planning permission being granted, this commitment from the Council will allow us to continue with the work to develop and design these schemes so they are ready to go if and when funding becomes available.
Investing in Threemilestone Primary School
Work is already underway on developing the new hall at Threemilestone Primary School thanks to £888,000 of funding from Cornwall Council.
The funding already provided for the school project means that work has begun in earnest on drawing up plans for the new building.
While additional funding will be needed to deliver the whole project, this is a great first step which we are very proud to have played a part in delivering.
You can find out more about how Langarth is supporting this project at
Threemilestone school : https://www.langarth.co.uk/new-hall-for-threemilestone-primary-school/
Realising our vision for Langarth has included investment not just in proposals directly linked to the new Garden Village, such as the Northern Access Road, the first new primary school and the renewable energy centre, but also in community projects within Threemilestone.
We want Langarth Garden Village to be part of the broader community of Truro and Threemilestone and the decisions made by Cornwall Council will help us to achieve this.
