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Levens Community Project

Levens Parish Council

Levens Community Project

Project status - The Project continues to progress. Information in a Question and Answer format is Here. This is updated periodically - if you have any

requests about the Project, please email clerk@levens-pc.gov.uk. New enquiries and responses will be uploaded to the Q&A as appropriate.

Information on Project finances is to be found at the bottom of the Accounts and Governance page.

How Levens Community Project came about - Written By Tom Hecht

In 1968 a plan was drawn with a view to building a new village hall at the playing fields but because of reasons unknown this never materialised.

In 1989 another plan by the same architect was drafted to extend the Institute but again no action was taken.

In 1997 the Institute management committee sent out a questionnaire to the village asking the question, do you want a new village hall? The results were 288 to35 and a number of comments in favour of a new hall.

In 2008 the parish plan showed that 95% of the 75% who returned the questionnaire wanted a new hall but at that time there was no site.

In 2009 Nick Hayhurst, the then planning officer visited Levens and a number of sites and found the recycling site the best and only realistic site for a village hall. He also commented that the planners would not allow any further expansion of the original footprint of the institute due to parking issues and close proximity to existing houses.

This information was confirmed by letter to the Parish Council.

In 2010 the then village hall committee who consisted of only institute committee members invited the Parish Council to co-opt two members onto their committee as the PC owned the recycling site.

We had 3 main tasks. Firstly, we needed to register the site and the rest of the Parish land, to gain Absolute Title. This proved to be a little difficult as no deeds are available for these pieces of land. Secondly, we needed to talk with architects to check on suitability of the site both for size and topography to build a village hall. Thirdly, we needed to explore funding.

In 2013, a new committee was formed, The Levens Community Project Committee, to investigate building a new village hall on the Quarry Site.

Latest news about Levens Community Project

May 1, 2025 A Fresh Start at Underhill: Levens’ Jubilee Orchard Takes Root - Written By Tom Hecht

Levens’ Jubilee Orchard is starting to take shape at Underhill, with the first apple and pear trees now planted thanks to local volunteers and grant funding from Westmorland and Furness Council. More trees, including local damson varieties, will follow in the autumn — part of a long-term plan to create a thriving community space for the village.

A Fresh Start at Underhill: Levens’ Jubilee Orchard Takes Root

There’s a new green space taking shape in Levens. In April, Roger Mason planted eight apple and two pear trees at Underhill Orchard, marking the start of a community project made possible by grant funding from Westmorland and Furness Council.

The groundwork was done with help from Thackers, who levelled the site and removed sycamore saplings. Bruce Nelson then harrowed the soil, and Roger sowed a low-maintenance grass seed, which Bruce rolled in to help it settle.

Each tree is protected with a rabbit guard and wire fencing — a precaution in case deer make an appearance, even if they’re not regulars in this part of the village.

Freshly planted trees ©Dave Rogerson

Following advice from the South Lakes Orchard Group (SLOG), half the trees have been planted now and the rest, including local damson varieties, will go in this autumn. The long triangular plot made random planting tricky, so the trees are arranged in three offset rows, which will eventually hold 20 in total.

Room has been left by the river for access to install fencing later in the year. A wall or hedge on that boundary will depend on securing additional RPA funding, so the site may look a little unfinished until the grass grows and trees fill out.

To add a splash of colour, Roger has suggested planting snowdrops, daffodils, and crocuses this autumn to brighten things up next spring.

SLOG generously donated the trees — including some rare varieties, and one thought to be extinct until recently rediscovered locally — and have offered more for the next phase.

This orchard is a great example of community effort and thoughtful planning, and a clear demonstration to W&F that the grant funding has been well used.

Mar 1, 2025 levens community project - Written By Tom Hecht

Village Hall Build Races Against Time – Cost-Saving Plan Brings Hope for 2.5-Year Deadline

At the new village hall site, the project progresses, albeit steadily, towards the construction phase. Summary: village hall costs cut to match funds, affordable housing still in limbo.

At the new village hall site, the Levens Community Project progresses, albeit steadily, towards the construction phase.

Village Hall plans images

The proposed site plan | Please note: plans are evolving to balance design and funding constraints.

In the last issue, we reported that, for reasons largely beyond the control of the Project, the build costs for both the hall and the affordable houses had risen exponentially during the Covid-19 period and the geopolitical uncertainties that have followed it – and which are still with us today. A further blow came when, late last year, the Government announced the closure of the Community Ownership Fund, which had previously confirmed that the Project met the criteria for the submission of a bid – which in this case would have been for £250,000.

As a result, we asked those contractors who had submitted tenders to review their costs and the build/design specifications upon which they were based through a process that we termed value engineering. In conjunction with the Project Architect, Tony Hills, this exercise aimed to secure significant cost savings without compromising the overall design or functionality of the proposed builds. Any proposed modifications or adjustments will be clearly signed off by the structural engineers responsible for the original design and by Tony.

Village Hall plans images

The draft floor plan | Please note: plans are evolving to balance design and funding constraints.

So far, this exercise has focused on the new village hall, as it is crucial for this to be built within the next two and a half years to comply with conditions in the Section 106 Agreement created by the former South Lakeland District Council (now Westmorland and Furness Council (W&FC)). One of the companies initially approached in the tender process has come back with very positive indications that, by adopting engineering modifications and specification adjustments, the village hall can be brought in within the funds currently raised by and available to the Project. The Project has been working hard with structural engineers to confirm what modifications will be acceptable within the footprint of the current design. At this stage, the indications are looking positive, and the Project hopes to accept a revised tender in the not-too-distant future.

On the construction phase of the affordable homes, most of the groundwork at Underhill has now been completed, and costs have been agreed with Electricity Northwest Ltd and United Utilities for electricity and water supply respectively. Four temporary standpipes will be installed before 10 March, ready for the water connection, which will happen sometime after. Emplacement of the electricity duct and subsequent supply has, however, been waiting for some time for a permit from the Environment Agency, as the works will be taking place within the prescribed boundary of the Catchwater Drain – which is classed as a main river.

Village Hall plans images

All 4 aspects in elevation | Please note: plans are evolving to balance design and funding constraints.

The Project will need to look again at funding for the affordable homes. So far, it has contributed a significant amount of match funding through enhancement of the value of the land at Underhill by gaining planning consent and by investing a considerable amount of quantifiable voluntary management time. Funding secured for the affordables amounts to over half a million pounds, but the Project will need to raise additional resources to be able to build both the homes at Underhill and on the old Village Institute site. The loss of Community Led Funding for the new Village Hall has impacted this element of the Project, as gaining that would have released the anticipated contribution to the affordable home element. The Project is applying for a grant under the W&F Affordable Homes Grant scheme and has discussed the current position in detail with the Housing Development Officer at W&FC and representatives of South Lakes Housing.

Levens Community Project - Autumn 2024 update - Written By Tom Hecht

At present, the Project is deeply engaged in the procurement process whereby a contractor will be appointed to take on the build phase for the new village hall and the affordable houses.

“Construction phase to commence early in the New Year”

At present, the Project is deeply engaged in the procurement process whereby a contractor will be appointed to take on the build phase for the new village hall and the affordable houses.

As reported in the last Newsletter, invitations to tender were issued earlier in the year and the five original tenders received have now been whittled down to two possible contractors. Their quotes however require thorough analysis to meet the finances currently available and, through a process known as value engineering, some cost savings have been identified.

To date, and from a standing start with no resources, other than immeasurable dedication and commitment from within the local community, the Project has overcome numerous challenges and progressed well, to a point where it has completed necessary ground works on two sites. This progress represents enormous success - on top of which it currently has access to over £2.2 million, (including £567,000 in grants which are ring-fenced for the affordable houses, and which will be claimed against build costs incurred).

It is an undeniable truth however that the last few years have seen the exponential growth of unforeseen financial pressures, starting with shortages in the supply chain and an associated rise in the price of building materials following Brexit, then delays as a result of Covid 19, compounded by soaring inflation, increased interest rates and economic uncertainty caused by global instability arising from conflict in eastern Europe and beyond. Further work is therefore required on value engineering whilst parallel work is taking place to identify alternative construction-phase models that might achieve further cost savings without compromise to the original plans. It is also important that fund raising initiatives continue, and the Project hopes that the window for applications to the Government backed Community Ownership Fund will re-open in the near future.

As illustrated above, however, the resources available to the Project are substantial and it is close to securing the right financial framework which will enable the construction phase to commence early in the New Year.

Levens Community Project - Summer 2024 update - Written By Tom Hecht

In the previous issue, the project was pleased to report that it had issued invitations to tender to several building contractors for the construction phase for the new village hall and the affordable houses. That process has gone well and each of the five contractors approached has submitted quotes for consideration.

Contractors’ quotes have been submitted

The electricity supply to site is in place and the local team have finished building the cabinet into the wall ready for linking into the hall. Photo ©Dave Rogerson

With only one of the full-market value self-build plots left to sell, and significant grants secured to date, the project has done remarkably well to raise its original funding target of over £2million.

It has however been aware that delays caused by Covid, the associated rise in the price of building materials and subsequent inflation were likely to have increased the overall build costs. The quotes from contractors have confirmed this, but for reasons for commercial sensitivity and because the tender process is still live, figures must remain confidential for the time being.

It is therefore important that fundraising initiatives continue - and an application to the Community Ownership Fund is nearly finalised, whilst other opportunities are being pursued. In the meantime, however, the project is working closely with contractors to identify potential cost-savings and in their turn, they are contributing positively to this exercise. Significant reductions have already been submitted to the project and individual contractors have accepted invitations to meet with representatives of the project to discuss these before the final selection is to be made.

Levens Community Project - Spring 2024 update - Written By Tom Hecht

Exciting news from the Project as invitations to tender (ITTs) for the construction phase of the new Village Hall, and the affordable houses at Underhill have just been issued to a number of building contractors.

Invitations to tender

After years of planning, fund-raising and more recently ground clearance and preparation, this is a truly significant milestone in this remarkable community-led project.

Contractors have 6-weeks to respond to the ITT, at the end of which a selection process will identify the preferred contractor(s) and - critically - the build-costs associated with the developments.

The Project has done extraordinarily well in raising the funds required, with all but two of its plots of land successfully sold for self-build (and one of those currently under offer) and a number of grants secured. Costs have undoubtedly risen since the first estimates were prepared, however, and the Project has commissioned its own estimator to provide a guide of what to expect. This professionally sourced data will also enable the Project to prepare a bid for a significant sum to the Community Ownership Fund which will require robust financial information and evidence of cost management.

Levens Community Project - Winter 2023 update - Written By Tom Hecht

Financing the project has always been a key priority in the minds of those tasked with delivering it, and so far it has been extraordinarily successful in generating the funds necessary to realise its objectives.

A note on finances

The aim has always been, and remains, that it shall be cost neutral as far as the parish council is concerned - and yet the parish council has been a major source of funds for the project. This has been made possible by the sale of parcels of parish land where, through innovative thinking, the value of those parcels has been significantly uplifted by securing planning permission on them.

Of seven plots (including Sizergh Fell Quarry) originally forming part of the overall project, five have been sold and one is under offer, leaving just one to sell in due course. This demonstration of raising resources from within the project is a vitally important component in securing a second channel of money through external grants. Through this strand, funders look to ensure not only that the scheme meets relevant criteria, but also that the applicant has shown commitment to raise funds for itself (match-funding).

Many external funders have, and continue, to exhibit their confidence in the project by providing financial support and the project is deeply grateful to them. Formal acknowledgement will be made in due course. One of the most recent opportunities for new funding is through the Government’s Community Ownership Fund and the project is delighted that an expression of interest submitted to the Fund recently has been accepted. This will now require considerable work on the part of the project to prepare and update a suite of detailed technical and financial data before an application is submitted.

And herein lies a third strand of resourcing for the project through the intense voluntary effort of those involved in its management. If a value could be put on the time input from this sector, it would certainly match, if not exceed the contributions attributable to own resources or external funding. This is a remarkable example of team working and dedication to achieving an end goal for the benefit of the village.

Work on the new boundary walls at the new Village Hall site continues (pictured above). The key task at the moment remains to confirm the most cost-effective solution to bringing in the electricity supply to the site and the most sustainable installations for heating and lighting. Considerable work continues on exploring alternative options, on completion of which the Project will go out to tender for the construction phase which could be as soon as March/April. This remains the case at Underhill.

The Project is working closely with its estate agents on offers received for the two plots of land that remain on the market for sale to private individuals for self-build.

November 2022 Levens Community Project update - Written By Tom Hecht

The last remaining self-build plot at Cotes, Levens is on the market at £175,000. This is plot number 1, which is the northernmost plot nearest to Wayside Cottage with a deceptively large area of land stretching up to the east.

This is the very last of all the Levens plots of land being sold to fund Levens Community Project and build our new village hall and seven affordable homes for local families.

Plot 2 at Cotes has already started construction with plot 3 to start very soon.

Levens Community Project Photo

Autumn 2022 Levens Community Project update - Written By Tom Hecht

An extract from the Parish Council ‘Winter 2022’ newsletter:

As reported previously it was always anticipated that work at the new Village Hall site was unlikely to progress until the Autumn, so it is good to report that work has indeed recommenced. Now the site has been levelled and cut-back to its perimeter, and following a competitive tendering exercise to identify and appoint a contractor, this next phase of physical work is the construction of the perimeter walls. These will be built to very technical specifications (particularly for the eastern boundary) drawn up in part by Cllr Mark Willacy in consultation with an external engineering consultant. The foundations for the eastern wall are under construction. There has also been a considerable amount of work devoted to securing the most cost-effective solution to bringing in the electricity supply to the site. Costs for this have risen over recent months and the Project has been concentrating on exploring alternative options to secure the supply and this remains work-in-progress. On completion of this work, the Project can go out to tender for the construction phase. Down at Underhill, infrastructure work is all but completed with some final stone-walling to finish. As a result, and subject to some final work on renewable energy supply, tenders for the construction phase are about to go out in order to start the process of appointing a contractor.

Whilst the housing market is currently in a state of flux, we are fortunate to have sold all but two of the six plots for self-build houses. Our Agents remain confident that the market for building plots in Levens will remain strong and that we can expect to sell the final two in the not too distant future.

Summer 2022 Levens Community Project update - Written By Tom Hecht

An extract from the Parish Council ‘Summer 2022’ newsletter:

Progress with the Project continues in a positive way: the ground preparation (or infrastructure) work at Underhill has gone well and is nearly finished, including the diversion of the mains sewer in liaison with United Utilities.

Infrastructure work (which is funded by a grant from The Community Led Housing Fund administered by SLDC) also includes the bringing of services to site including water and electric and the Project looks forward to finalisation of that work over the next few months. The preparation of invitations to contractors to tender for the building construction phase is close to completion and they will be issued as the utility services are installed.

Further work has now been completed at the new Village Hall site and the quarry faces cut-back to the final perimeter. Tenders for the construction of the boundary walls to the designs agreed with the structural engineer have been received and a contractor appointed, though this work is unlikely to start until the Autumn. Much of the funding for the new Village Hall is coming from the sale of plots with planning permission to build dwelling houses and there has been good progress on this. Of the three plots at Cotes, two are now sold and one remains on the market, but with some current interest. Of the three plots at Church Road, two are sold and the third is under offer.

15th March 2022 Work commences at Underhill - Written By Tom Hecht

Many residents will have noticed the commencement of work at Underhill where groundworks are underway prior to the construction of 4 affordable units (2 two-bedroomed and 2 three-bedroomed houses). Current works are being undertaken with the assistance of grants from the Community Led Housing Fund managed by SLDC.

Meanwhile, two of the building plots at Church Road have been sold and two at Cotes are sold subject to contract leaving just one plot at each site left for sale. Once funds from the sale of these plots are secured, the Project will move on to the construction phase of the new Village Hall where current work is focussing on the design and build of the boundary walls. The Project is looking forward to considerable progress during the course of the year.

Further update

Engineering works to prepare the site and retaining walls have been ongoing before and after Christmas. For those with an interest in the detail an explanation is given below:

Pictures show the start of retaining wall at Underhill. The two rows of bars sticking up are ‘L‘ bars which are all welded on individually to the horizontal mesh which sits a couple of inches above the concrete. This concrete is only there to give a level, clean base to work from.

There are U shaped bars to the sides which are welded on horizontally onto which a second layer of mesh will sit. The wall is stepped up nearer to the cottage end, due to required finished levels and rock.

Concrete will be filled level to the top of the boards at either side. The ‘L’ or starter bars will be left sticking through the concrete from which he will add two vertical rows of weld mesh. The shuttering boards will then be placed either side of this mesh but not touching these boards and will be filled with concrete. This will be done in sections. There is a long toe of concrete at the Inside of the wall and a smaller heal at the rear to give the wall its stability.

The last 3 pictures show the concrete poured to prove over the holidays.

Building plot sales progress in aid of Levens Community Project

Only two of the six building plots offered for sale in Levens by the Community Project are now available for sale with the other four subject to accepted offers.

At Cotes

Plot 1 has planning permission for a 3-bedroomed house and is offered at a guide price of £185,000. As with plots 2 and 3, the generous building platform is backed by a natural rock feature which can be landscaped and terraced to provide a really attractive backdrop to the property with views towards Whitbarrow Scar. The accompanying photos show how this particular plot benefits from a natural spring which has already been partly landscaped to provide a unique water feature. Site drainage is provided, whilst other services, including connection to the B4RN (hyperspeed broadband) network are all available adjacent to the site. The existing planning permission can be amended by application to SLDC (Planning) to create a dream home that is complemented by a very special landscape.

At Church Hill

Plot 3 (closest to the Hare and Hounds) has just been put on the market. The area has been cleared to show the amount of ground available for a 3-bed house (one en-suite) with great views over the lower Lyth Valley. Parking for two cars on site is provided and this plot is offered at £160,000.

Church Hill site plan

These sales are providing funds for the new Village Hall and four affordable houses at Underhill and a further three flats in the old Village Institute at a later date and are therefore for the benefit of the village as a whole. If you are interested, or know of anyone you think might be interested, then it is worth acting fast by contacting Joanne Day or Emma Hodkinson at Armitstead Barnett (Estate Agents) on 01539 751993 for further details.

October 2021 - An update on ‘The Local Plan’ - Written By Tom Hecht

Early in 2020 SLDC announced its review of the Local Plan to ensure that all its planning policies are up-to-date and continue to meet the development needs of our area to 2040.

The Local Plan allocates sites for housing and other developments, such as new employment sites. It also contains the policies used to decide whether to grant planning permissions for new development including affordable housing, as well as policies for improving biodiversity, reducing flood risk, and improving local infrastructure such as roads and cycleways.

Residents may be aware that under current plans for local government re-organisation Cumbria is to have two unitary authorities, one of which will amalgamate Barrow Borough Council, Eden and South Lakeland District Councils. SLDC is putting in place its review of the Local Plan at this stage to ensure a seamless transition for the area when the new authority is launched.

Under the current Plan, development sites were identified for Levens leading to the new houses on Meadow Wood. Last August the Parish Council was invited to make representations to be taken into account in the review of the current Plan. It expressed concerns about any further large scale housing developments in the village due mainly to inadequate infrastructure such as water supply, sewerage and traffic.

This response may be viewed on SLDCs website (details below). The Review is currently in its Issues and Options phase which is a consultation open to all running to the 29 October 2021. As part of this consultation, the Parish Council has recently reaffirmed its earlier response (PC Meeting, 14 September 2021).

Residents with an interest in the revision of the Local Plan are encouraged to visit the SLDC website where a considerable amount of information is available and where consultation responses may be lodged.

Learn more on SLDC's website

As part of the South Lakeland Local Plan Review Issues and Options consultation, SLDC are holding a number of ‘drop-in’ conversations across the District. These are being held at the following locations from 3pm to 7pm:

- Tuesday 12 October: Kirkby Lonsdale Lunesdale Hall

- Friday 15 October: Milnthorpe M: Hub

- Monday 18 October: Kendal Town Hall (Town Council Chamber)

- Wednesday 20 October: Ulverston Coronation Hall

- Friday 22 October: Grange-over-Sands Victoria Hall

Planning Officers will be on hand to listen to and discuss any views in response to the consultation.

These are open public consultation events and Covid secure measures will be in place. These will include a requirement to wear face masks and observe social distancing inside the venues. Hand sanitisers will be available and windows and doors will be opened to ensure good ventilation.

At busy times numbers allowed inside the venues at any one time may be limited to ensure the comfort of everyone attending.

8th March 2021 - levens community project - Written By Tom Hecht

With building plots at Cotes and Church Road now on the market, the Community Project has entered a new phase and so the Parish Council is devoting the following two pages to an update on progress.

The twin aims of the Project, identified from within the local community itself, are to build a new village hall and to provide affordable housing for local residents. The framework for this initiative is a Joint Venture Agreement signed by the Parish Council, Levens Charity and the Institute Charity (now the Levens Village Hall Charity) which commits each entity to work together to deliver the Project. Secured planning consents allow for four affordable houses to be built in a terrace at Underhill and a new village hall on Lowgate. When the latter is complete it will be handed over to the Village Hall Charity and the old Institute will be released for redevelopment as three affordable flats. The affordable properties will be owned and rented out by Levens Charity. All this is possible because Levens Parish Council in its own right and as Trustee of Levens Charity is fortunate in owning several plots of land within the village. Fundamental to the success of the Project is the sale of some of these (on which planning consents for full-value housing have been secured) to private developers. Sizergh Fell Quarry was sold in November 2019 and plots at Cotes and Church Road are now on the market. The proceeds of sale from these, supported by external funding in the form of grants, will generate the funds necessary for the new village hall and the affordable housing (which will deliver a long-term return to the village through rents and housing for local people). The Project has been constructed as a cost neutral initiative, meaning that costs will be met by funds raised from the sale of land and external grants, with no financial impact on the day to day finances of the Parish Council and therefore the Precept.

Sizergh Fell Quarry was sold for £750,000 and the three plots at Cotes and the three at Church Road are valued in the region of £1million, so a prudent combined estimate of income from Parish land might be put at £1.7million. The pre-Covid combined estimate to build the affordables and the new village hall, based on a cost per square foot, was £2.3million. It is expected, however that these costs will have increased and more accurate costs will not be known until tenders are received from contractors. The Project Architect, Tony Hills is preparing detailed tender packs: that for the four houses at Underhill is to be issued soon and that for the new village hall is currently being finalised and will be sent out to contractors when plots at Cotes and Church Hill are largely sold.

Supporting the income from the sale of Parish land are funds from external Agencies and primarily from those who support the Project because of its commitment to build affordable housing. Much work, and therefore cost to the Project has already been completed. Awards for All and the old Homes and Communities Agency provided nearly £50,000 which was applied towards feasibility, site surveys, design and planning costs, whilst SLDC has made important contributions from its Locally Important Projects fund and Members’ Budget totalling nearly £45,000. £40,000 of this was for the excavation of the new village hall site which is now nearly 95% complete – work which itself released a large quantity of good quality building stone, some of which has already been sold for £47,500. Some of this income has funded a structural engineer who is currently designing boundary retaining walls on this site. Work based on his drawings will be completed prior to construction of the main building using stone on site and will be funded by the sale of the remaining stone. SLDC also contributed to the costs of replacing the village allotments from Church Hill and Underhill with ten purpose built new allotments at the Kitchen Gardens rented from Levens Hall at a neutral cost. These are all currently occupied with a waiting list.

The most significant source of external funding however has come from the Government-backed Community Led Housing Fund from Homes England and administered by SLDC which is supporting the construction of the affordable properties. It has provided nearly £100,000 to pre-construction costs (Capacity Grant) mainly to cover professional fees. In addition and from the same source, a recently completed Funding Agreement has made available up to £668,000 for infrastructure work (£318,000) and building costs (£350,000). Some final legal details, including the registration of a Legal Charge as a requirement of the Funding Agreement are being completed, after which work will commence on the Underhill site. Following a competitive tendering exercise, Tim Thacker has been awarded the Infrastructure contract at Underhill which includes creating the right levels using fill from the new village hall site, building a retaining wall which is to be stone faced, digging the trenches for the services and moving the main sewer pipe. This latter piece of work is being done under an Agreement with United Utilities which will be completed as soon as the Legal Charge is registered.

In high-level terms therefore we may estimate a revised Project cost of say £2.4million (to be confirmed), against which there is provisional income of £2.5million (Sizergh Fell Quarry - £750,000; a prudent estimate from the sale of building plots - £950,000; funding from the Community Led Housing Fund - £668,000 and grants already received of over £185,000 - which can be offset against the overall cost estimate). This does not take account of additional income from the sale of stone or grants from other external funders. The Project is clear that the availability of external funding is for specific purposes so, for instance, grants from the Community Led Housing Fund cannot be used for the costs of the village hall – there is no single large pot of money that can be used for any purpose. As a backup if required, the Project has also considered the possibility of selling up to 50% equity in each of the four houses at Underhill or taking low interest loans available to the PC for projects exactly like this. The affordable homes will bring in around £25-£30,000 in rents per annum to the Charity, the majority of which will be used for the benefit of people of Levens.

The Project is managed by Levens Parish Council, but in formal partnership with others (as seen in the Joint Venture Agreement) and in conjunction with external funders. Most of its work however is processed by volunteer representatives from the community through either the Levens Community Project Working Group, which is mainly concerned with matters relating to the new village hall, or the LCP Advisory Panel which takes a wider view of the Project as a whole and advises the Parish Council on project management matters. The Parish Council could not run this Project without the input from these two groups or from its Architect, Tony Hills and it extends its thanks to all those involved as well as to the funding bodies supporting this Project.

This piece has inevitably been only a snapshot of the Project and space restricts a more detailed review of both finance and design matters. Of particular interest to many will be the proposed designs and layout of the new village hall. The large graphic panels on the fencing around the site provide a good impression on the intended design. The Parish Council, however, is currently reviewing its page on the village website and a revised layout is under construction. This will make it much easier to navigate to areas which will be devoted to clearer and more up to date information on various aspects of its activity. For the Project, more detailed plans, financial data and updates on progress will be posted and kept updated.

As the Project moves towards construction, it is hoped that this article provides a broad background to the current position and that the website will keep residents updated with new developments.

8 November - Sizergh Fell Quarry sold for £750K - Written By Tom Hecht

Photo of sizergh fell quarry

Levens Parish Council is delighted to announce that Sizergh Fell Quarry has been sold for £750,000.

This sale was essential for Levens Community Project to be able to proceed including the building of our new village hall.

We are excited with this major step and look forward to future progress.

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