Lochaber play provision budget agreed for 2022/23

Lochaber Area Committee met today (Monday 7 November 2022) and Members agreed to split the play provision allocation of £40,225 for 2022/23 equally between wards 21 and 11.

Ward 21 – Fort William and Ardnamurchan also has £13,844.18 remaining budget from the 2021/22 budget and Members agreed to allocate to Amenities for use in maintaining play parks in the Ward.

The allocation from the Scottish Government play parks renewal programme for the Lochaber Area for 2022/23 is £40,225, which will be split equally between the two Lochaber Wards to allow an allocation of £20,113 per Ward in line with the allocation split agreed in November 2021.

Lochaber Area Committee Chair, Cllr Kate Willis said: “Playparks have positive social and mental health benefits for children and young people, and we have 34 play areas across Lochaber for people to access. We are striving to improve the play park provision across Lochaber to ensure all are safe, inclusive in design and in use and for play areas to be environmentally and financially sustainable going forward.

“Over the next four years the allocation from the Scottish Government play parks renewal programme is set to increase, 2023/24 Lochaber budget will double to £80,088, having the increments agreed in advance allows the Council to collaborate with local community groups to forecast and manage the repair and renewal programme and provide the play provisions that will benefit our children and young people.”

The Scottish Government play parks renewal programme from 2021-2026 for the Lochaber Area is £494,674 and is shown in the table below.

Lochaber play park funding 2021-2026