Start on play area

WORK could soon be about to start on a delayed scheme to provide youngsters in Uckfield with a much needed play area.

The Downland Youth Diversion Project is an inter-agency scheme aimed at providing a new recreation site for children on the Church Combe Estate.

The cost of the project is around 60,000. Although 38,000 of that has been raised between Uckfield Town Council, Wealden District Council and the Sussex Police Authority, efforts to secure external funding has so far proved fruitless. The delay has left project workers frustrated and put construction work behind schedule.

However, Uckfield town councillors this week voted to use the money already secured to make a start on the development. Members on the council s environment committee agreed to put the major part of the scheme s construction work out to tender, and pledged to begin work once a contractor has been found.

Environment manager Christine Wheatley said: 'We have decided to go out to tender for the earth moving work as this takes up a large chunk of the project s costs. As soon as the specifications have been drawn up for that work we will go ahead with the tender.

She added that inflation would continue to impact if work was delayed any longer. 'The costs are creeping up all the time, she said.

Committee chairman Cllr Martha Whittle said: 'If people see us start to do something it might well have a regenerative effect on funding. This project is extremely important to the local police. They are optimistic that we will get funding somehow. They are very keen to see it up and running.

The scheme, announced 12 months ago, was devised to provide a 'distraction for youths, and particularly older children, on the Church Combe Estate an area of Uckfield low in facilities for youngsters.

In addition to the 38,000 secured, equipment and volunteer services have been pledged by local employers and organisations. That leaves something in the region of 15-20,000 still to find in funding.

A spokesman for the town council said that after any earth moving work it would take six months for the ground to settle. Once that had happened the pledged play equipment could be installed.