Play parks in North Lanarkshire are to be upgraded thanks to the announcement of new Scottish Government funding.
The council is to receive £324,000 to improve its existing facilities, “enhancing play opportunities for children and young people” – with officials now working to determine where and how the money should be spent.
It follows the distribution of £5m in Holyrood funding to be shared by local authorities across Scotland, with the government at Holyrood having planned a total investment of £60m for play park renovation during the next five years.
The additional money for upgrading was welcomed by Neil Gray, the Airdrie & Shotts MSP – who asked residents for their opinions on local play facilities three years ago when MP for the same constituency.
He received 137 replies, with more than three quarters of respondents calling for better play equipment to be installed.
Mr Gray said: “The response was overwhelmingly negative when I ran a survey across Airdrie & Shotts to see what people thought of the standard of their local play areas.
“I asked North Lanarkshire Council then to resolve the issues but was given the stock reply of no funds available; I have asked again and sincerely hope the response will not be the same this time around.”
He added: “I welcome the announcement that playparks across North Lanarkshire will be modernised and restored through a share of this funding from the Scottish Government, and I have supplied the council with the results of my survey which will give them a headstart.”
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