PLANS to transform part of Rakehead Recreation Ground into a car park for Burnley General Hospital have been given the go- ahead.

The sale of part of the recreation ground was approved at Burnley Council's executive last night to create extra parking spaces around the hospital, chronically short of parking spaces.

Burnley Health Care NHS Trust wants to pull down the children's play area and turn it into a 90-space car park. However, the £100,000 from the sale of the land to the hospital will be used to create a new play area and keep some of the grassed area.

Coun Colette Bailey, the council's executive member for leisure, said: "By doing this we will be able to use a currently unusable piece of land. We will also be upgrading the play area for the benefit of the community."

Simon Goff, the council's head of green space and amenities, said: "The money would allow us to install a new playground. The existing one was installed in 1988 and, although it was partially refurbished in 1997, the equipment suffers from corrosion and will need replacing soon.

"The money would also pay for asphalting of the ball court to provide a better playing surface and for other improvements, such as seating, tree planting and improving the drainage of the grassed area."

The plans include keeping a grassed area, putting in new drainage, a new playground, a new fence, re-surfacing the all-weather pitch, creating basketball courts, a seating area. and planting trees.