£675,000 INVESTMENT IN PLAY AREAS APPROVED

1.28.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 29th Apr 2009

Play and Recreation Facilities to be improved.

• 12 sites across North Kirklees to benefit -

At the meeting of Kirklees Cabinet yesterday (28/4), members approved plans to spend £675,000 improving play and recreation facilities for young people. The majority of the investment (£500,000) will benefit communities in North Kirklees Wards.

Thanks to the investment, 11 different sites across North Kirklees will benefit from either entirely new developments or upgrades to existing facilities.

The initiative aims to provide play and recreation facilities in areas where there is a lack of activities or challenge to engage young people entering their teenage years. It has been driven by Kirklees Lib Dem Group who secured the required capital funding earlier in the year as part of a previous budget agreement.

The Kirklees Lib Dem Group hopes that the investment will keep young people across North Kirklees active and off the streets.

The £657K will pay for the following in North Kirklees:

Development of Multi Use Games Area Shaw Cross £70,000

Development of Floodlit Multi Use Games Area, Refurbishment of Changing Pavilion, Provision of fencing and security equipment. Crawshaw Street Ravensthorpe £120,000

Re development of central ball courts to provide quick cricket, tennis, kickabout, netball etc Firth Park, Heckmondwike £70,000

Development of Multi Use Games Area Chinewood Estate Batley £70,000

Upgrade of Multi Use Games Areas, New fencing, tarmac repairs and painting surfaces Leesholm Park, Thornhill Lees,

Overthorpe Park,

Holroyd Park Ravensthorpe,

Crow Nest Park, Dewsbury

Firth Park Heckmondwike,

Earlsheaton Park,

Paddock Park, Batley £170,000

TOTAL £500K

Cllr Kath Pinnock (Leader of Kirklees Lib Dem Group says):

"We are very pleased that this investment will benefit those areas which need it most. Young people entering their teenage years need to be provided with things to do on their door steps to keep them active and engaged. Lack of resources for young people is one of the chief complaints among some communities and this initiative is specially targeted to address this gap".

Cllr Naz Hussain (Dewsbury West Ward) - who has been working to secure the new MUGA at Crawshaw playing fields for some time- welcomed the news that the required funding has been signed off.

"This is excellent news for the young people living in the area and I can't wait to see the finished result. I have been working with the council to get some facilities set up for the community and this is the hard work paying off. I am very pleased. I think sports are an excellent way to bring people together and the more young people we can involved in sporting activities the better."

The work will be completed by the end of March 2011.