A new hall roof in Stokenham, a new park in Modbury and village hall improvements in West Alvington are among eight projects given a share in a £153,900 fund.

The money, from South Hams District Council, is part of the Community Reinvestment Fund that has been running since 2013. It uses money given to the Council when new homes are built, called the New Homes Bonus, to support community infrastructure projects in communities where development has taken place.

Stoke Fleming Parish Council will receive £7,250 for the replacement of cracked wet pour surfacing within the play park, Stokenham Parish Council will receive £8,500 to improve the drainage and surface along the path, and extend it towards Cotmore and Beesands.

Stokenham PC Memorial Hall will get a new watertight, energy efficient, replacement roof for £39,475, Yealmpton Parish Council will receive £5,000 to create a stable footpath, which will not be washed away by flooding of the River Yealm.

Champernowne Play Park Steering Group will get a new play park for £30,000 - with the project aiming to modernise Champernowne Play Park in Modbury, adding significant play value for children up to the age of 12.

Newton and Noss Parish Council will receive £16,980 to upgrade and renovate the children’s play park equipment, create a natural play space, an outdoor table tennis facility, to renovate the basketball facility, improve pedestrian access gates and update the picnic and bench seating.

Salcombe Town Council will receive £20,000 of new street lighting to ensure a safe route for children to and from school, and pedestrians using these path leading to a newly built estate at Bonfire Hill, during darkness.

West Alvington Village Hall Committee will receive £26,695 to improve the facilities such as the kitchen, toilets with disabled access, a shower unit and baby changing, a heating system, flooring and general upgrade of this much used facility.

Last year £113,000 was split between five projects, four of which were based in Totnes: Leechwell Garden Association - Leechwell Garden Play Structure, Totnes Community Development Society - Mansion Totnes, Totnes Trust - Rotherfold Improvement Project, Totnes Town Council - Totnes Civic Hall rebranding and Salcombe - Community Link Path

The Leechwell Garden Play Structure is due to open on Wednesday 22 March and will provide an adventurous natural play space in the heart of Totnes. The new Path at Salcombe has been completed and will provide a safe pedestrian link alongside Batson Creek to the community at Lower Batson.

Works to improve the civic space at the Rotherfold in Totnes are nearing completion, with new paving, planting areas and hand carved benches. The space reflects the community aspiration for a space to sit and rest, a safe place for children to play and a space for markets and plays.

This year the total applications to the £153,900 funding pot amounted to over £300,00, as opposed to just £113,000 in 2016/17. As a result not every application could be supported and some difficult decisions had to be taken.

Cllr Hilary Bastone, South Hams District Council, said: “This year we saw an avalanche of applications, many more than last year and we had a tough time whittling down the successful applications from so many.

“Looking at each application on its own merit, we are delighted to be allocating funding to eight community projects across the district.

“While we understand that there is disappointment in Totnes that applications in the town have not been chosen this year, I think that it would be unfair to say that Totnes hasn’t benefitted from the scheme.

“Last year we allocated £113,000, and out of that, £85,000 was allocated to Totnes alone. Development happens across the South Hams and I am pleased to see villages and towns across the District being provided with community facilities.”

The Community Re-investment Projects Fund will run again next year using the New Homes Bonus from recent developments. The project funds are available for town and parish councils and voluntary and community groups in the areas where the developments are taking place.

The deadline for applications next year will be in mid-January 2018, and the fund will be promoted by South Hams District Council during the coming year.

To apply for these funds, community projects will need to be near a development with more than ten homes, or more than three homes in smaller parishes, and would have the support from ward councillors and the parish or town Council.

For more information visit South Hams District Council website at http://old.southhams.gov.uk/article/5188/Community-Re-investment-Projects-Fund.