Trees estate in lottery cash bid for play areas

The need for the areas on the Trees estate where children can play without the presence of dogs has been identified in consultations with children and young people. They could design the boundaries to separate areas where dogs can be exercised from dog-free zones.

The talks were carried out as part of the preparation of the bid to the Lottery Fund's Playful Ideas programme.

This provides grants of between 10,000 and 250,000 to voluntary groups or parish councils.

Bersted Parish Council has welcomed the prospect of applying for the money. Its members unanimously backed the idea.

Cllr Martin Lury said: 'We would be mad to turn down nearly 200,000 in funding for the Trees estate. We do need to have an input on the detail of the bid but I am very pleased about it in principle.

'I can't see how this will harm the estate. I can only see good being done there and that estate has been crying out for funding for years.'

Cllr Simon McDougall said the Trees estate featured in national league tables of deprivation.

The councillors also agreed to invite county council children's fund project co-ordinator Isabelle King to a future meeting to discuss her ideas.

In a letter to the parish council, Ms King said the scheme stood a good chance of getting to the next stage for possible selection for lottery funding even as the money available dwindles because of the 2012 Olympics. Its aim was to bring nature into the Trees estate.

The ideas were 'both creative and innovative while being very sustainable and community driven', she wrote. Her initial research has revealed several themes which could benefit the open spaces on the estate. As well the dog-free zones, they included:

l a need to incorporate natural features into the estate's open spaces;

l creating visually pleasing trails which features such as sculptures designed by the children; and

l possible temporary meeting places.

A play trails co-ordinator would be employed by Arun District Council for two years, if the bid was a success, to bring the ideas to life.