Sports project in Stowmarket aiming to tackle health inequalities takes major step forward

A sports project in Stowmarket aiming to tackle health inequalities has taken a major step forward.

Members of Mid Suffolk District Council’s cabinet unanimously approved the full business case for the first work package of the £2.4m Stowmarket, Health, Education and Leisure Facilities (SHELF) project.

The approval will see land surrounding Stowmarket High School and Chilton Fields receive a new 3G football pitch, a multi-use games area, an improved rugby pitch for Stowmarket RUFC’s pitch, a community running track, cricket nets, and other connectivity improvements.

Cllr Tim Weller, cabinet member for environment, culture and wellbeing, said although there may be some disappointment that the full SHELF project has not yet been brought to cabinet, the first package still represents a major step forward.

He added: “We’re really keen to make it deliverable in packages so that we can put some measures in place to start to address some of the key concerns we’ve got such as child obesity.”

“I’m delighted to bring this paper to Cabinet now as a trigger for a spade to finally hit the earth.”

Cllr Weller added that the council remains committed to delivering the remainder of the project as negotiations continue to develop.

The project is part of the council’s plan to tackle health inequalities as rates of depression and child obesity continue above the local area and national averages.

In Stowmarket, over a quarter of children are described as obese or overweight, with 79 per cent of these found to remain obese in adulthood.

Cllr Weller said the delivery of the first package, and the others further down the line would have an effect not only on these inequalities in Stowmarket, particularly in Chilton Ward, but also across the district.

The first package’s approval was considered alongside a recommendation to put £450,000, a portion of which will come from the council’s reserves, towards the £2.4m scheme, with the remaining funding already identified from a range of external sources. This also won approval.

This step, Cllr Weller said, would see further investment for the remainder of packages available as negotiations continue.

He explained: “We’re absolutely committed to being able to spend that money to make sure that the whole project works in this first phase to supplement the other grants and funding schemes that will be made available to us as a contingent to our commitment.”

Works related to the first package could begin as early as next month.