Essential repairs to the building’s roof and the installation of easy access steps were also caried out making the facility more accessible, especially for older people, families with babies and toddlers and the disabled.
The next stage of the project is a decarbonisation project that will replace the aging and expensive to run oil-fired boiler with an all-electric heating system, significantly reducing carbon emissions by 70% and lowering running costs. This work is due to be completed in November this year.
The work has been funded with £250,000 raise by the trustees and the local community, together with funding from Shropshire Council’s capital programme, and CIL (community infrastructure levy) funding.
The total cost of these improvements is expected to be £3.93million, with funding coming from many different sources as follows:
- £2.454 million from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
- £680,000 from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)*.
- £505,000 from the council’s capital repairs budget.
- £250,000 donated by the Trustees of the Bishop’s Castle Save the SpArC charity. which has been raised by the local community