£30,000 to spend on leisure facilities

Ideas are being sought on how to spend £30,000 earmarked for play areas and recreational facilities in Southwell.

The town council was given the money from developers when the Dudley Doy estate was built on the former Merryweather’s Nursery site.

It can only be spent on play or recreational facilities.

Mr Peter Harris, chairman of the council’s finance and policy committee, said the money had to be spent within a year or given back.

He said: “It is rare that we have a large capital sum like this available so we need to think about it carefully and, rather than spend small sums, find a larger project to spend the money on.

“It has to be spent by April 2012 but I am fairly confident we can do that.”

Mr Harris said he had asked the Town Forum, which he chairs, to come up with ideas.

He said although the money had to be spent on recreational facilities, they could be anywhere in the town.

A play area for younger children will be created on the Humberstone Road part of the former nursery site using separate money provided by the developer.

A councillor, Mr Peter Pay, said ideas suggested by the Town Forum included more facilities for young people and exercise equipment for the elderly.

Mr Andy Gregory said he was pleased the money, which is being held by Newark and Sherwood District Council, was being given to the town council so a decision about the best way to spend it could be made locally.

He said: “I hope now we can go out to consultation to groups in the town because, as we have demonstrated with the skatepark, it can be quite successful if we work with users.

“Wherever we go with it, we should consider groups because we are going to have lots of representatives bringing forward ideas and this is an opportunity to demonstrate how the system can work.”