YOUNGSTERS in Colne could have somewhere new to play by the end of March with the £20,000 development of West Street playground.

Councillors approved plans for a toddlers' playground on spare land between Colne Lane and Midgeley Street and change of use permission is expected to be submitted to the Colne and District Committee by its next meeting on January 10.

Details of the suggested schemes will also be made available at the committee meeting.

Following a public consultation about the former chapel site, it was decided the area should be redeveloped and that the preferred option was to have a playground with fixed equipment for children to the age of six, to reinstate and replant the existing landscaping, repair existing features and provide a new garden area at the Colne Lane end.

Ward councillor Tim Ormrod was delighted with the proposals and said: "Residents came up with two suggestions. One was for a kickabout area for the youths because they tend to play football in the schoolyard and then they came up with the idea of a toddlers' playground.

"I have been working with residents in the area and Pendle Council officers for a couple of years to try and do something with this piece of land and am extremely glad that we are now actually able to take it forward."

The car park part of the site is owned by the council while the ownership of the remaining area towards Colne Lane is unclear but has been maintained by the council for the last 12 years.

The parks, cemeteries and outdoor recreation department has proposed that for the area to be completed by March 22, work must begin by February 15.

All the new and refurbised play areas will be fenced to prevent roaming animals entering and to ensure children cannot walk out directly on to the highway. Dog grids will also be provided.

The Colne Committee Capital Programme has allocated £10,000 for this scheme with a further £10,000 available as match funding from the Central Playground Capital Budget.

Councillors approved the action already taken by officers and agreed that a growth bid should be submitted to the Budget Committee to cover the maintenance costs of the site, which have been estimated at £480 for one year.

They also agreed that operational services should be asked to carry out improvements to the fencing on the Midgeley Street recycling centre to prevent materials not properly placed in the containers blowing over the top on to the play area.