Inverness councillors agree more than £510,000 in playpark funding from the Scottish Government
Inverness councillors have agreed an investment of more than half a million to improve play areas across all seven of the city’s wards over the coming year.
Of just over £600,000 of Scottish Government funding that was available to invest in 58 Inverness play parks local councillors allocated £512,052.
In 2021, £2.9 million was given to the council as part of the government’s commitment to renew play areas across the country, in the wake of Covid.
In all, the Inverness Area got £838,162, which has been split equally between the seven Wards £119,737 per Ward over the five-year programme.
In November 2021 that power was delegated to area committees to decide how the funds would be invested on a “blend of play park conditions”.
The criteria used by the government was 95 per cent based on the 0-14-year-old population and five per cent on rurality, changing to 93 per cent age and seven per cent rurality.
The council has 319 play parks region-wide and over 2083 pieces of play equipment, while Inverness has 58 play areas and 561 pieces of play equipment.
The provision of play parks is not a statutory duty, but the inspection and maintenance of equipment once installed, is a mandatory requirement.
The council said it would “welcome any local groups that are interested in supporting further investment in their play parks” by accessing funding not open to the council.
If any groups are interested in boosting the investment in their playparks they can email Highland Council’s Play Strategy Coordinator by clicking here.
The leader of Inverness, Councillor Ian Brown said: “Playparks have positive social and mental health benefits for children and young people so it’s great news that significant funding to invest in so many play areas across our wards has been agreed today.
“Like everything mechanical or structural, play equipment has a finite life, and at the end of its life it becomes unsafe for children to play on, and must be replaced.
“The investment over 2025/26 will benefit our local communities and keep our play parks open and safe for our children now and into the future.”
The full list of the agreed investment is noted below:
Ward 12 – Aird and Loch Ness £113,232
Ward 13 – Inverness West £89,772
Ward 14 – Inverness Central £57,358
Ward 15 – Inverness Ness Side £101,518
Ward 16 – Inverness Millburn £56,171
Ward 17 – Culloden and Ardersier £115,194
Ward 19 – Inverness South £67,669
The sums and specific locations are outlined below, to find out your ward you can click here:
For Ward 12 a total commitment of £102,336
• Balnain Road Play Area; £26,350 for a refurbishment project
• Aird Road Play Area; £20,000 to install inclusive items
• Strathglass Play area; £3650 to contribute towards a community refurbishment project
• Abertaff Play Area; £2,500 to contribute towards a community refurbishment project
• Jenkins Park Play Area; £2,500 to contribute towards a community refurbishment project
• Milton of Drumnadrochit Play Area; £151 to remove and replace fence
• Kiltarlity Play Area; £47,185 to contribute towards a community refurbishment project
For Ward 13 a total commitment of £72,225
• Whin Park Play Area; £8,225 to complete the refurbishment project
• Lawers Way Play Area; £22,000 for a refurbishment project
• Blackpark Terrace Play Area; £10,000 for a new bench and inclusive slide
• Mile End Place Play Area; £20,000 for a carousel, monkey bars or zipline
• Charleston View Play Area; £12,000 for a slide or basket swing
For Ward 14 a total commitment of £55,000
• Benula Road Play Area; £35,000 for a refurbishment project
• Hawthorn Drive Play Area; £15,000 for a teenage climbing unit, hammock and zip line
• Lochalsh Road Play Area; £5,000 to replace bark with grass matting surfacing
For Ward 15 a total commitment of £73,304
• Castle Heather Play Area; £4,990 for MUGA panels
• MacDonald Park Play Area; £25,450 to resurface MUGA and carry out footpath works
• Holm Park Play Area; £3,350 to replace goals and reseed
• Ardbreck Play Area; £34,514 for a refurbishment project
• Evan Barron Road Play Area; £5,000 to remove swings and install pretend road
For Ward 16 a total commitment of £56,000
• Grebe Avenue Play Area; £40,000 for a refurbishment project
• Walker Park Play Area; £6,000 to replace bark with grass matting surfacing
• Lochiel Road Play Area; £10,000 to add an inclusive item
For Ward 17 a total commitment of £93,187
• Cameron Drive Play Area; £53,187 for replacing the wetpour with grass matting surfacing
• Smithton Pitches Play Area; £40,000 for a refurbishment project
For Ward 19 a total commitment of £60,000
• Inshes Park Play Area; £30,000 for a replacement cable runway, springy, basket swing and parkour equipment
• Burn Brae Play Area; £30,000 for a refurbishment project
