Funding boost for children's play

Children in part of Derbyshire are to benefit from almost £250,000 of investment in play areas.

Amber Valley Borough Council has secured lottery funding to upgrade facilities in three parks.

Improvements are planned for Alfreton Park, Heanor Memorial Park and Crays Hill Recreation Ground near Swanwick.

The council said it was producing a design brief and would be inviting companies to submit ideas for the new play areas.

The plans include a flagship play area in Alfreton Park with wooden structures for climbing and swinging incorporated into a natural setting.

Heanor Memorial Park will get a water play facility to complement the existing paddling pool.

The council said it also wanted to construct a naturalised play area at Crays Hill.

This would include play equipment for climbing and balancing will sit in a landscaped setting of mounds, ditches and grassed meadows.