Promoting park

See letters Play area cash could have been better spent and Taking away park piece.

The play area is being enhanced using funds which have been secured via a government initiative to encourage children and young people (aged between eight and 13) to participate in healthy outdoor play activities.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) made 1.1 million of funding available to the seven local authorities in West Sussex, which was distributed by West Sussex County Council. Worthing secured 185k to help renovate four play areas in Worthing.

As Victoria Park is in a deprived ward, councillors asked us to see if section 106 funds (developers' contributions) could be used to supplement the funding to ensure that all age ranges were catered for in this project.

This allowed us to spend a further 50k on the project at no cost to council tax payers.

The council will, of course, maintain the playgrounds to ensure their continued safety.

Consultation with parents and children was carried out at the park and we also consulted two local schools, Heene 1st School and St Mary's RC Primary school.

The consultation fully involved ward councillors and PCSOs.

The design we went for met the children's needs and the needs of the funding sources.

The playground was extended up to the footpath to allow free and easy access for children with disabilities and parents with prams and buggies clear access straight off an existing footpath.

Victoria Park recreation ground is very large and there is ample space for people to picnic or enjoy other activities.

Football is played at this site, but is only played for a few hours each week.

Finally, street lighting is dealt with by West Sussex County Council - highways, not the borough council.

Chris Bradley

head of parks and foreshore

Worthing Borough Council

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