An ambitious project to turn gifted land into recreation space for a small village on the edge of Hambleton is taking shape with the help of nearly £20,000 from the district council.
Battersby Junction which lies on the edge of the North York Moors National Park has 26 children under the age of 18 and has no public transport links to neighbouring towns and villages for recreation and nowhere for younger children to play safely or to kick a ball around.
“Development of a recreation space will provide an amenity for village events and a neutral place for villagers to meet,” said Councillor Ron Kirk, Ward Member who is supporting the project.
“The plans also include a children’s play area which will offer a safe and stimulating environment for the children to play in which is missing at the moment. The surrounding villages of Battersby, Inglebly Greenhow and Kildale will all benefit from the project as they have a growing population of under 18s and there is a really good community spirit between them all – having an outdoor space for community events will help to maintain it.”
Barbara Beveridge, from Battersby Junction Community Association, added, “Unfortunately before the land could be developed the contaminated soil needed to be removed which was made possible thanks to a grant of £19,954 from the councils ‘Making a Difference’ fund.
“We now have to be patient and wait until spring to allow the clean soil to settle before we can install a drainage system and continue with the project. Receiving the grant also gave us a much needed boost and encouraged our fundraising efforts. We held a Christmas Fayre and raised £1300 for new equipment. It is fantastic to think that we are able to turn this plot of land into a place for all to enjoy and nurture for generations to come.”