Chichester's Centurion Way extension gets £500,000 from South Downs National Park

The money is part of funding boost of nearly £1.8m to community infrastructure projects across Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex.

New cycling and walking routes, safe pedestrian crossings and an inspiring initiative to help young people are among the community projects to benefit from a funding boost from the South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA).

Among the projects will be an extension of the popular Centurion Way, following the former Chichester to Midhurst railway line. The works will create a new 5.3km multi-user path from West Dean to the South Downs Way at Cocking – giving cyclists and walkers disabled-friendly year-round access into the heart of stunning countryside.

Eight projects are set to receive a share of just over £900,000, while just over £600,000 has been earmarked to support community infrastructure projects for Hampshire County Council, West Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Council.

In addition to the £1.5m, a further £280,000 has been given to 33 parishes for their own projects. Community infrastructure covers a wide range of purposes, including transport, access, education, community buildings, climate change mitigation, green infrastructure such as tree planting, and recreation.

Tim Slaney, director of planning at the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “We began a new decade for the National Park by announcing some significant CIL funding and we’re pleased to be finishing 2020 with this good news.

“Good infrastructure, particularly around access, recreation and wellbeing, can make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives. A number of these projects will significantly improve access to the countryside, helping more people to connect with nature and reap the health and well-being benefits.

"After such a difficult year for so many people, I hope we can all agree that access to this beautiful landscape has provided great comfort and will continue to do so in the years ahead.

“The Community Infrastructure Levy is one of the cornerstones of our role as a planning authority, ensuring benefits flow from any acceptable development. It’s wonderful to be able to help so many communities with such a varied range of projects.”

All the CIL funding has been drawn from developers’ contributions taken from the 2019/2020 financial year.

Other projects include:

• Washington Link Footpath – to provide an ‘offroad’ route (open to walkers, horse-riders and cyclists) between Washington Village and the South Downs Way at Washington Bostal Car Park. £166,700.

• Seven Sisters Country Park – for a number of infrastructure projects associated with enhancing the facilities and making it more accessible for all. £100,000.

• Ditchling – Keymer Road Car Park – to provide additional car parking spaces (including disabled bays and cycle racks) for the village and visitors to the National Park. £70,000.

• Stroud Village Improvement Scheme – towards highway improvement works and improved pedestrian footways, crossing points and village signs. £20,000.

• Iping Common – to upgrade the three entry points and paths to improve access to the Common, including drainage improvement works and re-surfacing the entrance points using Fittleworth Stone. £19,000.

• Kings Arms Youth Project – towards the purchase of, and improvement works to, a new permanent home for the Youth Project within Petersfield Town Centre. The project supports local young people affected by challenging home circumstances and mental health, stress or anxiety-related conditions during their school years. £15,000.

• Farringdon Village Improvement Scheme – towards highway improvement works to improve highway safety issues and village signs. £11,327.27.

The SDNPA has also approved CIL funding for the following county councils:

• £196,000 to Hampshire County Council.

• £283,726.44 to West Sussex County Council.

• £121,597.04 to East Sussex County Council.