Sloughbottom Park in Norwich to get £850,000 in funding

Backed by Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, £850,000 is set to be awarded towards an £8.5m scheme to breathe new life into the park.

The regeneration plans include improvements to the pavilion, a new 3G football pitch, improved changing facilities, play park improvements and a revamp for the BMX track.

Bikers using the BMX track at Sloughbottom Park (Image: James Bass)

It is one of nine projects selected by members of the Greater Norwich Growth Board to benefit from £10m of funding from a pool of cash generated by the community infrastructure levy (CIL).

Mile Cross Labour councillor Chrissie Rumsby said: "I'm looking forward to the toilets being done up because they certainly need it, it's long overdue.

"It would be nice to have a cafe there.

Chrissie Rumsby, Labour county councillor for Mile Cross in Norwich, in the kitchen preparing meals at the Phoenix Centre on the estate for families (Image: Simon Floyd)

"Sloughbottom is different from other parks like Eaton and Waterloo - it's got a different vibe.

"I hope that the development doesn't gentrify it.

"It's great that this money is being put in and I hope it serves the community in which it's in.

Sloughbottom Park, Norwich in the snow (Image: Sue Hines)

"It's a great park and I hope things like the Mile Cross Festival will still be able to happen there when they do it up.

"Any money that gets pumped into Mile Cross I will welcome. For so long we have been ignored."

The funds are due to be formally confirmed in March but will still need approval from the city council's cabinet.

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Mile Cross Festival at Sloughbottom Park, 2021 (Image: Sonya Duncan)

The funding would come as Mile Cross celebrates its centenary in 2023.

Simon Floyd, creative director of the Common Lot - a theatre group that does creative and community work to champion Norwich and the Mile Cross area - added: "Any money for Mile Cross is a good thing.

Simon Floyd, creative director of the Common Lot (Image: SOPHIE WYLLIE)

"It has been neglected for a really long time.

"It's a good place full of good people doing things for the community.

"But very often regeneration focuses on capital funding - fixing up buildings - and not necessarily supporting capacity of organisations to run the funding.

"You need people to develop community groups and take pride in place on an ongoing basis - but this is investment in things and not people."

Sloughbottom Park (Image: EN)