Kids' £500,000 Shopping List Approved

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Money to improve leisure facilities for the young

Young people have had a half-million pound shopping list they helped draw-up approved by Ealing Council. Thousands of 11-16 year olds were asked for their views on how £1million should be spent to help provide better leisure facilities for young people across the borough. Last night the Cabinet approved a shortlist of projects to benefit from the first half of the cash.

There are projects planned for every area across the borough, including brand new Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGA) or outdoors play equipment for Acton, Ealing, Northolt, Perivale and Southall.

The schemes, which are together worth £542,000, are:

• Acton - North Acton Playing Fields – brand new Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) - £70,000 Leamington Park Estate – refurbished youth play equipment - £20,000 Wesley Playing Fields – refurbishment of the MUGA - £20,000
• Ealing - Blondin Park – brand new outdoor gym and youth play equipment - £25,000 Deane Gardens – refurbishment of the floodlit basketball courts - £12,000
• Greenford - Ravenor Park – brand new Astroturf football pitches with floodlights - £42,000
• West Ealing/Hanwell - Drayton Green – resurfacing and new fencing and floodlights for the MUGA - £40,000 Gurnell Grove – improvement to fencing and floodlights at the MUGA - £25,000
• Perivale - Perivale Park – a brand new floodlit MUGA - £82,000
• Northolt - Radcliffe Way – new floodlights for the existing MUGA - £12,000 Wayfarer Estate – brand new MUGA - £82,000
• Southall - Young Adult Centre – new floodlights for the football pitch - £12,000 Spikes Bridge Park – new MUGA and urban cricket nets - £50,000 Jubilee Park – new half court MUGA - £20,000 Windmill Park – new floodlights and resurfacing for the MUGA - £30,000

The list was drawn up after 6433 young people responded to a survey asking for their views on youth facilities and 12 focus groups were set up across the borough to look at the ideas in more detail. The cash was stumped up after the residents’ survey showed increasing numbers of people think there should be more on offer for young people.

The approved projects could get underway as early as next month, with most work due for completion by March next year. For the larger schemes further consultation will be carried out with local residents and for several of the projects the Council will have to apply for planning permission before work can start.

Councillor Ian Gibb, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “It’s high time there were some new facilities for young people in the borough.
I’m delighted that so many young people have taken the time to respond to the consultation. I’m sure that the facilities will be really well used because they’re exactly what teenagers have asked for.”

The remainder of the £1million pot will be allocated after further research has been carried out on a number of other possible projects across the borough. The Cabinet decision is subject to call-in for a period of five working days from the date of publication of the minutes of the meeting.

July 24, 2008