AN action plan to develop more than £270,000 worth of new infrastructure for sport, recreation and art in Bedale has been put forward.
The top priorities in the wish list range from £35,000 for public art for the new Gateway car park, to investment in footpaths, new play equipment and improvements for local sports clubs and a £150,000 for a town centre feature area near the Post Office.
The money would come through funds which would be paid by a builders' levy for any developments they carry out.
The list has been drawn together through Bedale Community Forum with the Town Council and Hambleton District Council working with local groups.
Bridgette Fortune, cabinet member for leisure services said: "This is a wish list of things that the community wants to see happening. It is important that we have an agreed action plan so if the money comes in it can be spent on what people want.
“Developers used to pay Section 106 money, that is now changed to the Community Infrastructure Levy, but it means that if they are building or developing in an area, they contribute to it.”
Bedale district councillor John Noone added: "In the past a wish list might have taken a number of years, because things are moving a bit quicker now, hopefully some of these things will come to fruition in the short term rather than the longer term.
“It is nice that there is money for the junior football club and sports clubs because they provide a massive service for the local people, we have some good organisations in the town.
This is one of the bonuses of having the extra housing, for a long time we have been a small community, it is altering it is becoming a bigger community and there are benefits.”
The top of the priority list is: Installation of a piece of public art in the Gateway car park, £35,000; Arts trail linking the Gateway car park, High Street, Station and cycleway to Aiskew, £25,000; Secure footpaths at Bedale Beck and from Masham road to Calvert Way and Pinewood Grove, £7,000; Fencing scheme for Bedale Junior Football Club to separate pitches, £10,000; Extra benches and seating in Bedale Park, £4,000; Playground on Burrill Road Estate for five to 14 year olds, £35,000; Junior Football Club shelter, £3,000; Junior Football club landscaping equipment, £420; Junior Football Club floodlighting £3,400 and Town Centre feature area, Post Office, £150,000
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