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Council allocates over £20k for Caithness play parks out of £219k pot


By David G Scott

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Highland Council has agreed on a region-wide play park strategy that will see £22,813 of a £219k pot being earmarked for making Caithness play parks "safe and inclusive".

Members of the council’s Communities and Place Committee (CPC) have agreed that a strategy for play parks across the region will be developed from local plans and local investment priorities within the overall aims of play parks being safe, inclusive in design and in use and for play areas to be environmentally and financially sustainable.

Fence pulled down at Beach Road play park in Thurso. The poor condition of some Thurso play parks has been highlighted in the paper. Picture: A Glasgow
Fence pulled down at Beach Road play park in Thurso. The poor condition of some Thurso play parks has been highlighted in the paper. Picture: A Glasgow

In September, Highland councillors across Caithness were delighted that the local authority had agreed to put in place a new strategy for the upkeep of local play parks. At a Highland Council meeting that month, a motion from the Caithness Area Committee was put forward by Wick and East Caithness councillor Willie Mackay, who stated at the time: “The benefits of active play among our young people cannot be underestimated. We need to do all we can to provide the investment needed so young people in our communities have facilities they can enjoy for years to come.”

CPC chair, Cllr Allan Henderson said: “Supporting families in the recovery from the pandemic is vital to the wellbeing of our communities and I am very pleased to see the development of a strategy and investment in play parks that will assist with the recovery.”

Scrabster play park was also highlighted by one local mum for its poor state of repair.
Scrabster play park was also highlighted by one local mum for its poor state of repair.

Councillors locally have already agreed around £500k for investing in play areas through their devolved budgets agreed at Area committees. A new source of capital funding is available from the Scottish Government’s play area renewal programme. Councillors have agreed on the allocation of this £219,000 capital play park funds by considering play park condition, the number of young people and a factor for rurality. The allocation to Area committees is:

Badenoch and Strathspey - £9,474.

Black Isle - £8,394.

Caithness - £22,813.

City of Inverness and area - £66,167.

Dingwall and Seaforth - £8,343.

Easter Ross –£22,946.

Isle of Skye and Raasay - £7,462.

Lochaber - £37,919.

Nairnshire - £7,926.

Sutherland - £12,591.

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh - £14,968.

Children at Kyleakin playpark.
Children at Kyleakin playpark.

CPC vice chair Cllr Hugh Morrison added: “The creation of a play park strategy that supports active play, and wellbeing of our children and families will be facilitated by a remaining £15,000 of the total £234,000 awarded to the Highland Council and used for local engagement and reporting on strategy development.”

A review of play parks will take into account play equipment and its condition, and the use and ownership of play parks. Local plans for, and investment in play parks will be agreed at a local level within the available council budget and other external resources.

Children at Kyleakin playpark.
Children at Kyleakin playpark.

Commenting on the investments and creation of a play strategy Cllr John Finlayson, chair of education added: “Local partnership working is the key to success. I was delighted, last Friday (November 5) to attend the opening of a new community playpark in Kyleakin. £100,000 was raised in less than a year with support from businesses, local fundraising and the Eilean a' Cheò Ward Discretionary Budget.”

Related articles:

Caithness councillors delighted over play park victory

Grim Scrabster play park in need of funds


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