7:00am Saturday 17th October 2009
By Alana Lewis
The long campaign for a play area in the north of Calne looks finally over after the town council was successful in bidding for a £75,000 grant.
The money was awarded through Wiltshire Council’s PlayBuild scheme and one of the conditions of the grant is that the project, aimed at children aged eight to 13, is finished by the end of March.
At the moment there is no park for children living on the Lansdowne Park development, and youngsters have no choice but to play on the grass verges.
But the town council has now confirmed there is around £160,000 to replace the vandalised park at Bremhill View, which was condemned as unsafe in 2006.
Former councillor Peter Dolman spoke out about the lack of facilities for youngsters on several occasions.
He said: “I am very pleased that finally the council are managing to do something.
“A lot of people have spoken to me about it and I am sure all the mums will be really pleased.”
His sentiments were echoed by father-of-two Andrew Holbrook, of Bream Close. He said: “It is really good news.” He said as well as play equipment for the younger children, he hoped a fenced off hard surface area would be provided for ball games for older children.
The town council has been working on the play area project since 2006, when it set aside £35,000. Around £40,000 will be funded by Persimmon Homes as part of the original planning permission for the Lansdowne Park development.
Town clerk Linda Roberts said the play area would have ‘a positive impact on the community for which facilities like this are limited’.
It is expected the work will begin on January 4.
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