We have exciting plans to rejuvenate Copthorne Recreation Ground
Our plan is to completely revamp the playground by doubling its size, improving the design and layout and creating a space that is inclusive of our community.
With the support of Sports and Play Consultancy Ltd we obtained an initial design for the new playground. We also obtained plans for a new MUGA (multi use games area) to support various sports including recreational football, basketball and others.
Since then, we have added plans to provide a new car park at the front of the recreation ground in line with the recommendations of the Village Action Plan There will be 14 car parking spaces including 2 disabled bays, to provide much needed car parking spaces for MUGA users and the village.
It is expected that once completed, it will also provide space for pop-up stalls, so creating the opportunity for mini markets in future too.
The Story So Far
· Drop-In Sessions - We wanted our community to have their say about our initial proposals and to tell us what they thought about the plans, so we held drop-in sessions in September and November 2023 at The Parish Hub in Copthorne.
· Planning Application – After obtaining all the necessary reports, we applied for Planning Permission for the changes. Whilst this took far longer to approve than anticipated, we were pleased to receive planning approval on 20th August 2024. Our application is available to view via the Mid Sussex District Council planning portal. Search for the application using the reference DM/23/2251.
· Removal of Existing Play Equipment - Unfortunately in the meantime the existing playground equipment had exceeded its expected lifespan and got to the stage where no amount of maintenance could stop it being considered a health and safety issue. Understandably, our priority has to be to prevent any possible danger to the children using the playground. This meant the decision was taken to remove the vast majority of the equipment, however the swings remain available for use.
Tenders and Quotes – We have gone out to tender for the 3 larger packages of work: the MUGA, the playground and more recently for what we’ve been calling ‘Contract E - Civils Package 2’. This contract is to remove the existing equipment, fencing, street furniture and paving; to construct the car park, access road and parking bays including SUDS soakaway and catchpit manholes; construction of paved area; construction of play area base including channel drainage; construction of paths including laying electrical duct and installing pedestrian gates; hard and soft landscaping including knee rail fencing, vehicle height restrictor, litter bins, benches and cycle racks.
The Finance & General Purposes Committee approved the preferred supplier for this contract on 7th July 2025. A period of standstill then followed to enable any objections or challenges to the process to be raised.
Having now received all quotes and tenders, the budget and funding plan have been finalised and approved by the Finance & General Purposes Committee on 7th July 2025 and by Full Council on 21st July 2025. This shows the total cost of the project to be £651,633.85 plus VAT.
What’s Happening Now?
We are now working on fulfilling the pre-construction planning conditions, the main one being the drainage of the site. A drainage plan has now been finalised, which will inform each area of work.
We are also working to ensure the project is fully funded so that the timeline for work can be finalised, contractors booked in, and work commenced.
Funding
We have secured £164,300 of Section 106 monies from Mid
Sussex District Council (MSDC) for the development of the MUGA (multi-use games
area). Section 106 money is developer contributions paid to the local planning
authority as part of their planning obligations as a way of delivering or
addressing matters that are necessary to make a development acceptable in
planning terms.
Whilst there are S106 contributions available specifically for formal sports, there are no S106 contributions currently available in this area for play spaces or for community infrastructure items, meaning that things like trees and hedges and the playground are currently unfunded.
Sadly, despite previously applying for funding from the National Lottery, the SUEZ Grant and twice to the Community Ownership Fund, we were not successful in our bids. Nor were we successful in asking MSDC to amend the Section 106 agreement to include informal play.
Since then, we have been successful in our application for £4,976 from MSDC’s Community Grant Fund for money towards the cost of several specified items of play equipment.
We then applied to MSDC for two further S106 applications for formal sports money. One for £88,880.74 was for specific pieces of playground equipment that we could argue are important for formal sports and the development of fundamental movement skills required in sports. Sadly, this was rejected as too tenuous a connection to formal sports. We are however delighted to announce that MSDC have approved the other application for £199,743.30 which will pay for those elements of work that are essential for formal sports including an element of the project management costs, drainage, carpark, pathways etc.
In addition to these monies, the Parish Council have agreed the use of £35,276 of its Ear Marked Reserves for the project, as well as a further £24,000 from its current budget, giving a further £59,276 towards costs.
Following a resident survey, we have now also sought approval from the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to apply for a Public Works Loan of up to £150,000 over the borrowing term of 10 years to part fund the project. Applying for a Public Works Loan is something the Council has done before, such as for the Bowers Place Parking Project, the building of the Parish Hub and the building of the Copthorne Pavilion. The loan will require a small increase in the precept to ensure repayment can be made. This would represent an annual cost to the average Band D household of £3.49. This would cost the Council £18,756.06 each year over the course of the loan based on an interest rate of 5.24%.
More recently, in January 2026, we have applied for the Lottery Awards for All Grant for a further £19,985 (of a maximum £20,000 grant) towards play equipment. It is expected that we will hear the outcome of this within 12 weeks of our application, and if approved, that funding will be available from the beginning of May 2026.
If we are successful in our Public Works Loan and Lottery Awards for All Grant applications, we will be £53,353.55 short of having the full project costs met. We will be taking several actions to reduce the funding gap or to reduce the costs of the project if that’s required. We will be going out directly to local businesses to ask for donations towards the project, specifically for costs associated with the playground or for arboricultural and landscaping works. Once the Public Work Loan is approved, we will instruct our Project Manager to start work on the Section 278 design and agreement (needed for the junction with the new carpark), the CDM requirements (Construction Design & Management Regulations 2015 aimed at ensuring safety in construction projects) and planning conditions. Once the MUGA and civils work has commenced, the amount of contingency needed will be more certain and it’s possible that we can free some of this up for other things. We will also instruct our playground contractor to reduce the cost of the playground to the available budget if that is needed. This may mean a reduction in possible equipment (possibly with the potential for more equipment to be added at a later date), or the switching of equipment for lower spec items which still meet the needs of those using it.
Whilst there is work still required on this, we do believe that these options will enable us to deliver this project, including the much-needed rejuvenated playground this year and we will continue to keep you updated as things progress.
What You Can Do to Help
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To reduce the funding
gap and to help minimize any increase in precept, we will also be approaching
local businesses to see if they are willing to provide donations to help
us fully fund the project, for items such as playground equipment, litter
bins, benches, picnic tables, cycle stands, hedges or trees.
You can donate money towards the project (clearly marking your donation Cop Rec) either by BACS transfer to:
Worth Parish Council
Account Number: 20505365
Sort Code: 60 83 01
Or via this payment link: https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QRSUFK33
Donations will be recognised with a thank you on social media, our website and in local parish magazines — or kept anonymous if preferred. We’re also investigating options for acknowledging contributions on the site itself. So if you make a donation and are happy to have your name published, then please email the office on enquiries@worth-pc.gov.uk
Thank you for any help you can give.