news story

25th October 2010

MP and Families Celebrate Playground Campaign Success

Families in Thornbury, Alveston & Pucklechurch are celebrating the news that planned new play areas which had been under threat will go ahead after all. This follows a successful campaign by local MP Steve Webb and local councillors who had argued that it would be wrong to let down children by scrapping these plans at such a late stage.

In the case of the play area near Eastland Avenue in Thornbury, work was due to begin this Summer. Detailed plans for the layout had been drawn up by local councillors in partnership with families from the area. Local MP Steve Webb visited the site and heard from families and children about the importance of the new facilities. He then wrote to Education Secretary Michael Gove urging him to reinstate the funding. The Education Secretary has now confirmed that the funding will go ahead. More than half a million pounds will be made available across South Gloucestershire. Whilst the national scheme is being cut by around 30%, South Gloucestershire will receive its funding in full.

Steve Webb MP said:

“This is very good news, and I am grateful to everyone who campaigned to keep this funding in place. We all benefit when children have safe and exciting places to play. I know that local councillors had put in a lot of work to drawing up plans for these play areas, and the children were very excited about what was to come. It is great that these schemes will now be going ahead”.