PETERSFIELD youth centre the Kings Arms, Stroud and Farringdon villages, and Iping Common near Rogate are to get a Christmas cash bonanza.

It comes from developers’ Community Infrastructure Levy payments to South Downs National Park Authority for 2019 to 2020.

The Kings Arms is to get £15,000 towards the purchase and improvement work to its new permanent home in Dragon Street.

Stroud will receive £20,000 for pavement and road improvements, crossing points and village signs.

At Iping Common, £19,000 will be spent upgrading the three entry points and improving paths, including drainage improvement work and resurfacing the entrance points using Fittleworth Stone.

And the Farringdon Village Improvement Scheme will see £11,327 go towards village signs and highway improvement work to address safety issues.

South Downs planning director Tim Slaney said: “One beneficiary will be the Kings Arms Youth Project that supports local young people affected by challenging home circumstances, as well as stress and anxiety-related conditions.

“After such a difficult year for so many people, I hope we can all agree that access to this beautiful landscape has provided great comfort and will continue to do so in the years ahead. We’re pleased to be finishing the year with this good news.”

In addition to the individual payments – part of a wider payout of just over £900,000 to eight recipients – a further £280,000 has been given to 33 parishes for village improvements.

And £600,000 of levy funding has gone to Hampshire County Council, West Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Council for community infrastructure projects.

Community infrastructure covers a wide range of purposes, including transport, access, education, community buildings, climate change mitigation, green infrastructure such as tree planting, and recreation.

Among these projects will be an extension to the popular Centurion Way, following the former Chichester to Midhurst railway line.

The work will create a new 5.3km multi-user path from West Dean to the South Downs Way at Cocking.

It will give cyclists and walkers disabled-friendly year-round access into the heart of the stunning countryside.

Mr Slaney added: “A number of these projects will significantly improve access to the countryside, helping more people to connect with nature and reap the health and well-being benefits.

“Good infrastructure, particularly around access, recreation and wellbeing, can make a real difference to the quality of people’s lives

“The Community Infrastructure Levy is one of the cornerstones of our role as a planning authority, ensuring benefits flow from any acceptable development. It’s wonderful to be able to help so many communities with such a range of projects.”