12/08/2010 01:20 PM
Community plans that could have included the building of play area fencing have been shelved as hundreds of government schemes to develop new playgrounds have been axed or stripped down as spending cuts start to bite.
Michael Gove, the education secretary, told 132 councils across the UK that grants for around 1,300 schemes will be frozen.
The Playbuilder scheme, originally launched by the previous Labour administration, was set to offer £235 million across every council authority to build 22 community play areas, equating to 3,500 in total. Some of these have already been built, and schemes where construction has begun will continue.
It is currently unclear exactly how many will be shelved as information on which schemes are in the process of development is still being collated.
Mr Gove, who wrote to council chiefs to inform them of the cuts, said funding for play developments would be cut in order to retain investment in so-called 'frontline' education services.
Emma Kane, a parent who worked with children in Oxfordshire to develop a playground scheme now targeted for shelving, told the BBC: "It's insane to cut what is such a small amount of money.
"There's lots of disappointed children out there, they keep asking me what's happening and I just don't know what to say to them."
Communities may now look at approaching commercial contractors about the installation of play area fencing.
Michael Gove, the education secretary, told 132 councils across the UK that grants for around 1,300 schemes will be frozen.
The Playbuilder scheme, originally launched by the previous Labour administration, was set to offer £235 million across every council authority to build 22 community play areas, equating to 3,500 in total. Some of these have already been built, and schemes where construction has begun will continue.
It is currently unclear exactly how many will be shelved as information on which schemes are in the process of development is still being collated.
Mr Gove, who wrote to council chiefs to inform them of the cuts, said funding for play developments would be cut in order to retain investment in so-called 'frontline' education services.
Emma Kane, a parent who worked with children in Oxfordshire to develop a playground scheme now targeted for shelving, told the BBC: "It's insane to cut what is such a small amount of money.
"There's lots of disappointed children out there, they keep asking me what's happening and I just don't know what to say to them."
Communities may now look at approaching commercial contractors about the installation of play area fencing.
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