The Meadows play area project
The Meadows play area is situated off Cuckoofield Lane, opposite Catmere Herne and is accessed via Jubilee Gardens. The play equipment was first installed in 2012/13 and has been well used ever since. Some of the equipment is now breaking and has not been economical to repair.
This is a wonderfully rural setting, surrounded by trees and hedges that the council would like all ages and abilities to enjoy. We are consulting with our residents to ensure the equipment we deliver will be used by many for years to come.
Latest news
Exciting progress is underway for The Meadows play area and pump track project as our fundraising efforts gather remarkable momentum. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the Simpson McCreath Trust has pledged a fantastic donation of £2,500, showing extraordinary generosity and belief in our community vision. The Simpson McCreath Trust is the charitable arm of Simpsons Malt Limited, the fifth-generation, family-owned malting company which operates a site in Tivetshall St Margaret, supplying high-quality malt produced from East Anglian-grown barley to brewers across the world.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has supported us so far—your encouragement and contributions are truly invaluable. The journey isn't over yet: there's still a golden opportunity to help shape something wonderful for local families. Join our mission and make a real difference by donating via our Crowdfunder page.
The BNG off site credits are being progressed.
We still have some funding requests live but we really do still need your support. No matter how big or small, please help where you can. To donate, scan one of the QR codes below.
Funding
The estimated total cost of the project is around £87,000, with the council earmarking £40,000 towards the project.
Hornsea 3 Community Fund has provisionally approved a grant of £24,216.
Our application to the National Lottery was unsuccessful.
Norfolk County Council has awarded £2,500 from their Norfolk Community Fund.
In March, we received confirmation that our grant applications to Norfolk County Council's, Norfolk Community Fund and South Norfolk Council's, Community Action Fund for £2,500 and £15,000 respectively, have been successful.
We have both Go Fund Me and Crowdfunding pages where we are asking for members of the public to donate
If you have any funding ideas or are a business that would like to help, contact the clerk.
Planning
Planning permission (2025/3341) was submitted in October 2025 with the assistance of Lanpro. We appreciate the feedback received from stakeholders regarding the proposals and acknowledge the constructive input which contributed to the project’s development and has aided funding efforts.
South Norfolk Council granted approval for the plans in January 2026. The planning permission included several conditions, primarily concerning biodiversity net gains (BNG). For reasons of efficiency and cost, the parish council elected to purchase off-site credits to fulfil these requirements.
The new play equipment
We took your feedback and created a specification for potential contractors. The council considered each proposal against your requirements and asked one company to come and speak to you. Four One Four had proposed a pump track, replacement swing set and new seesaw.
You told us that you thought the idea of a pump track was very exciting and we agreed!
The beginning
In 2024, the council started talking to potential contractors about ideas for the play area. We shared these ideas with you and you gave us some great feedback that has helped shape this project
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Your views are crucial to the development of this play area project. Without you we could not have worked with potential contractors to develop proposals. We value all views and encourage you to contact us.