Two funding applications totalling around £100,000 are set to rejuvenate Shawbury’s moat and recreation ground after a 10-year lease deal was secured on the land following 18 months of negotiations.
The historic Shawbury Moat is to be restored in a project set to cost £30-40,000 and a new recreation ground is planned which is estimated to cost between £60-80,000.
The land is under the ownership of the Diocese of Lichfield and leased to Shawbury Parish Council but the lease ran out around 18 months ago, preventing any work from being done.
Members of Shawbury Moat Project and the parish council have been in negotiations with the Diocese’s agents Balfours ever since. A 10 year lease has now been secured and they are just awaiting written confirmation.
Adrian Brown, leader of the Shawbury Moat Project, recently met with Heritage Lottery officers in Birmingham to discuss the scheme and said he came away feeling ‘optimistic’.
The moat is a scheduled monument comprising earthworks and the buried remains of a medieval moated site. If the group is successful in its bid they would carry out a geophysical survey of the area which would reveal any buried structures connected to the site.
Should any be found, the county’s archaeology team would be consulted and the area could be excavated.
“I met the Heritage Lottery board in Birmingham in December and gave them a presentation and they seemed to be very keen on the project, so we’re optimistic we will get the funding.
“They also want to have a meeting on site some time in February, so that sounds quite promising,” said Mr Brown.
“We’re putting an application together now. We haven’t done the costing yet but we’re looking at between £30-40,000 to do the work we want to.”
Funding is also being sought to create a facility on the recreation ground which would include a playground and a combined sports court including football and basketball facilities for older children.
John Kennedy, chairman of the parish council, said a local committee was applying for funding from various sources and said they were expecting it to cost between £60-£80,000.
Shropshire County Council have been acting on behalf of Shawbury Parish Council and spokesperson Gareth Proffitt said: “We are currently awaiting further information from the agent acting on their behalf to allow the legal formalities to be completed.”
