Final funding for projects awarded by liaison panel

Former chairman of the liaison panel, town councillor Garry Titmus said at a recent meeting of the council there is possibly only one more meeting to take place when business will be wrapped up on July 4.

The panel is made up of representatives from the plant, North Kesteven District Council, Sleaford Town Council and Kirkby La Thorpe Parish Council.

As part of the approval of planning permission, it was agreed that the plant sited on Boston Road would contribute to a number of community projects as well as improve the cycle path to Kirkby La Thorpe and the slip road onto the A17 for delivery lorries.

Waste heat has been piped to heat the Sleaford Leisure Centre, NKDC offices, the indoor bowls club and William Alvey School. There has also been a schools education programme and sponsored apprenticeships.

The Liaison Panel has also determined applications for grants from a Community Fund pot of £120,000, spread across three years for groups, organisations and schools in the two parishes.

These have included things such as heating for Sleaford Little Theatre and composting toilets for the town allotments.

All grant funding has finally been allocated and mostly spent, with a waiting list for any money not spent by a group.

For Kirkby La Thorpe suitable projects had been less forthcoming but the final amount has been awarded to a project to improve disabled access into the parish church, which involves moving a font and levelling doorways, as well as installing a toilet and servery to make more use of the church as a community centre in the absence of a village hall.