Huge cash boost for Catterall's community playing fields

Details of the improvements were made public this week – at the same time as Catterall Parish Council revealed it had received a cash boost of almost £178,000 in grants from various sources – an amount which has delighted the council and the community.

The money will be spent to boost activities for both adults and children at the park, off Garstang Road, Catterall.

The improvements will see a fitness trail – including six pieces of outdoor fitness equipment – an adventure play area for older children, a wheeled play area, and a widened and extended path around the perimeter of the field.

Coun Jan Finch, who is heading up the project for the parish council, said: “We drew up a masterplan for the playing field following consultation with residents and were very lucky to be able to put the new toddler and young children play area in so quickly with a grant from the Lancashire Environmental Fund and money provided by Wyre Council as an alternative to public open space provision in a small new housing development nearby.

“Our next project was to put in the fitness trail but grants are not easy to find and we thought it would take some time.

“Then we heard about ‘LEADER’ grants through the Rural Development Programme for England which are administered by Lancashire County Council and found out that we were able to apply.”

They new facilities will complement the toddler and young children’s play area which opened in April 2017.

Coun Finch added: “We decided to make an application not only for the fitness trail but also for the other two big items – the older children’s adventure play area and the wheeled play area – and we were over the moon when we found out that we had been awarded £157,528.

“We were also successful in getting another grant – of £20,000 – but can’t reveal the source of that until the work is complete.”

Work on the fitness trail which will be for used all age groups, will begin on June 11 and it is hoped it will be ready for community use by mid-July. The timetable for the work to see the construction of the old children’s adventure play and wheeled play areas is still being worked out.

For more information please contact Jan Finch on 01995 604771, 07990 893800 or by email at [email protected].