York families may see their local playgrounds get new equipment this summer – as the council puts £175,000 towards upgrading 29 play areas.
Community groups, councillors and housing associations were invited to bid for cash from the pot to improve playgrounds, if match funding for the projects could be provided.
The scheme was so popular that groups bid for more than three times the cash that was available.
The 29 projects
Swipe to see the full table
| Supported projects | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organisation | Location | Ward | Bid for | Awarded | Project |
| Clifton Residents Association | Crombie Avenue | Clifton | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Copmanthorpe and District Recreation Centre | Recreation Ground | Copmanthorpe | £10,000 | £5,900 | Surfacing |
| Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward councillors | Bursary Court | Dringhouses and Woodthorpe | £9,000 | £5,310 | New equipment |
| Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward councillors | Leeside | Dringhouses and Woodthorpe | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Outgang playing field Committee | The Outgang | Fulford and Heslington | £7,573 | £4,468 | Surfacing |
| Fulford Parish Council | Fordlands Road | Fulford and Heslington | £10,000 | £5,900 | Older children’s play equipment |
| Friends of St Nicks | Rawson Avenue | Guildhall | £10,000 | £5,900 | Safety surfacing |
| Haxby Town Council | Ethel Ward Playing Field | Haxby and Wigginton | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Churchfields Open Space Committee | Greensha w Drive | Haxby and Wigginton | £6,000 | £3,540 | Fitness equipment & seating |
| Friends of Melrosegate Playing Fields | Melrosega te Playing Fields | Heworth | £10,000 | £5,900 | Fitness equipment |
| Friends of Glen Gardens | Glen Gardens | Heworth | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment and surfacing |
| Heworth Without Parish Council | Stray Road | Heworth Without | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Holgate councillors | Sowerby Road | Holgate | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment and surfacing |
| Friends of Holgate Community Garden | Upper Saint Pauls | Holgate | £8,000 | £4,720 | Play equipment |
| Residents with Huntington Parish Council | Garth Road | Huntington and New Earswick | £10,000 | £5,900 | Fitness equipment |
| Huntington Parish Council | Orchard Park | Huntington and New Earswick | £10,000 | £5,900 | Older children’s play equipment |
| New Earswick Sports Club | White Rose Avenue | Huntington and New Earswick | £9,695 | £5,720 | Equipment and surfacing |
| Osbaldwick Parish Council | The Leyes | Osbaldwick and Derwent | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Dunnington Playing Fields Association | Intake Lane | Osbaldwick and Derwent | £10,000 | £5,900 | Multiple smaller improvements |
| Clifton Without Parish Council | Rawcliffe Lane | Rawcliffe and Clifton Without | £10,000 | £5,900 | Surfacing |
| Rawcliffe Parish Council | St Marks Grove | Rawcliffe and Clifton Without | £10,000 | £5,900 | Surfacing and painting |
| Askham Bryan Parish Council | Askham Fields Lane | Rural West | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Rufforth and Knapton Parish Council | Wetherby Road | Rural West | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Rufforth and Knapton Parish Council | Knapton Recreation Field | Rural West | £30,000 | £17,700 | New play area |
| Skelton Parish Council | Brecksfield | Rural West | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Earswick Parish Council | Behind Earswick Village Hall | Strensall | £5,671 | £3,346 | Play equipment |
| Stockton on the Forest Parish Council | Gay Meadows | Strensall | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Elvington Parish Council | Elvington | Wheldrake | £10,000 | £5,900 | Fitness and play equipment |
| Naburn Parish Council | Naburn | Wheldrake | £10,000 | £5,900 | Play equipment |
| Total | £295,939 | £174,604 |
But none of the funding was awarded in the city’s most deprived ward, Westfield, which also has a higher population of children than the average for York.
Acomb, Bishopthorpe, Fishergate, Hull Road and Micklegate wards also missed out on funding.
However funding was only awarded if a bid was submitted and it met the criteria.
Cllr Darryl Smalley said: “I’m delighted that so many communities are set to benefit from this significant investment.
“By allocating a significantly larger amount to the fund, many more play areas and communities across the city will benefit from this scheme.”
New climbing rocks
Only £100,000 was initially set aside for community bids, but the council increased the amount to £175,000.
Separate plans to spend £150,000 on an independent survey of playgrounds to establish where investment is most needed were halted.
Instead, £75,000 of the money was put towards the community bids and the remaining £75,000 is set to be spent on safety surfacing.
Related
Stray Road play area in Heworth Without is one of the playgrounds that benefitted from the community bid scheme – with new climbing rocks installed at the site.
The council put £5,900 towards the new play equipment and the parish council put in the same amount to upgrade the playground.
Senior Liberal Democrat councillor Nigel Ayre said: “Ensuring we have excellent play areas across the city is crucial in supporting our communities and most importantly, providing safe places for young people to enjoy healthy outdoor activities.
“Ward budget is there to support measures that tackle issues of concern to residents or support the local community. Sometimes they are big ticket items such as tree planting, but the smaller schemes such as this one are just as important.
“Having tested the new equipment myself, I am sure the local young people will enjoy this excellent addition to their local park.”
Ron Clayton, chair of Heworth Without Parish Council, added: “Having recently installed new outdoor gym equipment in the area, I’m looking forward to getting myself fit and ready to tackle this fantastic new addition to the play area.”