Mike O'Brien

Children's play areas to be improved and made safer

Warwickshire County Council is to receive £1.1 million of new funding from April 2009 as part of the Labour Government’s Children’s Plan. The money will be used to transform children’s play areas and make sure public spaces are safer and more child friendly in the county.

A key requirement of the funding programme is that the Council must involve communities in decisions on where the money is spent. This means that the Council will be required to enable and support community-led projects. Play England will help advise on local community bids by providing access to specialist support.

North Warwickshire MP Mike O’Brien has welcomed the news and is encouraging communities in North Warwickshire and Bedworth to consider where new facilities are needed.

He said, “This initiative was launched to make sure Warwickshire’s children have somewhere safe and fun to play. The local community must be fully involved on where the money is spent. That means there is an opportunity for people in our area to push for improvements in their children’s play facilities.”

At a meeting with Mike O’Brien to discuss the funding, the Education Secretary, Ed Balls, who announced the funding said,” The funding is part of an investment programme being made by the Government over the next three years to transform children’s play areas and make sure public spaces are more child friendly. A key requirement of investment is for the community to demonstrate how it will allow children’s play areas to become safer.”

Mike O’Brien will push for funds to be allocated to areas of need in his constituency and is asking Councillors to come forward with ideas soon.