Paths for Communities, a new funding scheme to develop and enhance the network of Public Rights of Way (PROW) in England in order to deliver benefits to rural areas, was launched today. Local community partnerships are eligible to bid to Natural England for funds.

The aim of P4C is to encourage and support local communities to work with land owners to make improvements to the network of Public Rights of Way. In all cases P4C projects must include some element of new Public Right of Way creation.

P4C is funded by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) so each P4C project must deliver some of its benefit in a defined rural area.

Where next?

• Visit the Natural England website Paths for Communities page which contains more information and an Expression of Interest form.

The People and Communities Fund has opened for applications this week to promote and support community-led regeneration initiatives across Scotland.

The Fund will invest in community anchor organisations that deliver local regeneration activity and promote change in disadvantaged communities. It will have a particular focus on supporting initiatives to increase people’s chances of entering employment, from progressing further in current work to helping break down any barriers people face when considering employment.

The Fund was announced by Alex Neil, the Scottish cabinet secretary for infrastructure and capital investment, who said it would “make a real difference in some of Scotland’s most deprived communities”.

Fiona Garven, from the Scottish Community Development Centre said:

“SCDC welcomes the focus of the People and Communities Fund on supporting community-led organisations to achieve the changes they want to see happen in their own communities. Community involvement must be integral to the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives to ensure that any activities that take place within local areas accurately reflect local priorities and lead to real and tangible improvements for local people. 

“We are encouraged that the funding programme is to be targeted at organisations that are rooted in their communities and which are best placed to encourage wider involvement in local regeneration activities thus ensuring longer term impact and sustainability.”

Where next?

• People and Communities Fund application form and guidance notes.

A second round for Expressions of Interest under the Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF) opened today (until 6 July) and details have also been published on how to apply to the second round of the Forestry and Farming Improvement Scheme when it opens on 22 May.

Applications will be invited for grants of up to £25,000 to enable businesses to buy new machinery and develop green projects, while whole communities in the remotest areas could get superfast broadband to help transform their businesses and the wider community.

Farming Minister, Jim Paice said: “This is good news for rural communities, as many of the farms and businesses that missed out the first time around will get another chance to apply for grants of up to £25,000, which will make a major difference to how they run their business.”

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: “Superfast broadband has the potential to transform our most remote communities by opening up a world of new opportunities.

“The fund will back those communities working to help themselves by bringing broadband to their homes and helping businesses develop and grow.”

Defra’s £20 million Rural Community Broadband Fund is open today for applications from the most remote communities.  It complements the Government’s £530 million Broadband Delivery UK programme to provide superfast broadband to 90 percent of every county. The Rural Community Broadband Fund allows for communities in the remaining ten percent to develop projects for a superfast broadband connection.

The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme will fund new profit-boosting green schemes (more information on criteria and eligibility via link below). Grants will cover a maximum of half of the total cost of projects in uplands areas and at most 40% of the total cost of projects in non uplands areas.

What next?

• More information about the Rural Community Broadband Fund and details on how to apply can be found on Defra’s RDPE Network webpage http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/rural-community-broadband-fund.  Applications close on July 6 2012.
• Information for applicants to the Forestry and Farming Improvement Scheme is available at http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/farm-and-forestry-improvement-scheme; the scheme will go live on May 22 and close on July 17.

Like many industrial towns, Bargoed had suffered years of decline as a result of the collapse in industry, turning what was once a thriving and bustling centre of enterprise into a shadow of its former self. With shops closing and fewer people visiting the town, this decline was set to continue unabated.
However, with the creation of an ambitious and exciting proposal, the Bargoed ‘Big Idea’ sought to reverse this decline enabling the town to enter a new chapter. With an exciting new retail development, cinema, comprehensive public realm enhancement and substantial transport improvements, Bargoed is set to be transformed into a modern, dynamic and sustainable 21st Century town centre in the heart of the south Wales valleys.

As part of the ‘Big Idea’, the town’s library building was due to be demolished to make way for the new retail development. The Grade II listed Hanbury Baptist Chapel was a dilapidated and underused building located within the town. With a building in need of complete renovation and a town in need of a library, a partnership project was born.

A partnership was created with the Chapel’s congregation, United Welsh, Caerphilly County Borough Council and the Welsh Government’s Heads of the Valleys Programme, designed to breath new life into the Chapel building to house the ‘Bargoed Library’, creating a state-of-the-art education and community hub at the heart of the town centre.

Over the last 12 months the Chapel has been sensitively transformed, innovatively integrating an exciting and modern facility into the historic core of the building. The project has safeguarded a landmark building at the core of the town centre, creating a modern library, ‘Customer First Centre’, social enterprise cafe and Family History Resource Centre all supporting the long-term sustainability and revival of Bargoed and the wider area.

The project will play a key role in supporting the town centre. Breathing new life into a dilapidated building has improved the town centre environment and will further support its economic viability through increased footfall. Furthermore, the project provides an accessible location for what is a very social facility, improving access to education and training, customer services and simply creating a venue within the town centre to meet and socialise.

With over 17,000 visitors in its first month, the project has contributed significantly to improving the perception of the town centre and will significantly improve access to education and cultural opportunities for the community.

Bargoed Library is the first example of its kind in Wales to convert a chapel into a public library whilst retaining a practising worship space. Moreover, the creation of a multi-use facility is an innovative solution to the challenge of providing key services within town centres.

The Hanbury Baptist Chapel Congregation has played a key role in taking the project forward. Once the need for a suitable building to house the new library was established, the Congregation was approached for its views on developing the Chapel. Throughout the development, design and implementation phases, the Congregation has been key, detailing the requirements for the worship space and ensuring that this central feature and function of the building was retained.

As part of the project team, the Congregation fed into discussions and plans and were also given the opportunity of running the social enterprise café within the building. The design of the new worship space was a direct result of the Congregation’s ideas and aspirations.

The challenge with a historic building was ensuring that old and new were integrated seamlessly. This was innovatively achieved through using quality materials, replicating those used originally and adopting a low-carbon approach to minimise energy consumption. The facility performs to the highest environmental standards possible within the constraints imposed by the historic building.

The project shows that it is possible to use historic buildings for modern purposes and functions. In many valley towns, old buildings such as chapels provide a unique sense of place. Many are recognised for their architectural (and or cultural) importance and should therefore be celebrated as assets within town centres.

Despite these attributes, historic buildings are often seen as too much of a challenge to have a viable use and are left redundant or demolished. This project proves that provided there is the commitment, vision and funding in place, it is possible to find sustainable uses for historic buildings. These magnificent buildings can become ‘living’ landmarks, providing fantastic venues for facilities and services that support town centres and ultimately, the communities that rely on them.

More information: http://your.caerphilly.gov.uk/bargoedsbigidea/regeneration/regeneration

Judges’ comments:

“A fantastic regeneration of Grade II building.  Clever use: still place of worship with a library. Excellent to keep community facility at the heart of a town. Good use of old with new. Wonderful example of what can be achieved by a community. Shows that if you get the right facility you will get an increase in footfall!”

Where next?

• Wales Action for Market Towns 2012 Award winners named
• Action for Market Towns 2012 Awards