News from Ipswich Labour

Ipswich’s Murray Road Rec hit by Tory playground cuts

Labour Councillors in the Priory Heath area of Ipswich are up in arms after plans to upgrade the play area at Murray Road recreation ground fell victim to Government cuts. A grant for £50,000 to transform the play area has been withheld after the Playbuilder programme was scrapped.

The £235m Playbuilder scheme was launched two years ago by the Labour government. It was set up to develop 3,500 playgrounds designed by, and for, the communities they were to serve. Chantry Park has had a great new play area through the scheme.

Hundreds of community playground schemes in England are being axed or scaled back because of the Government cuts. Education Secretary Michael Gove has frozen grants to 132 councils for building and running up to 1,300 schemes, many designed by youngsters.

Local councillor Bill Knowles said: “It’s another blow to efforts to rejuvenate the Murray Road Rec. It’s disgraceful that children are now in the firing line and will miss out due to these Conservative cuts.”

Other news from Ipswich Labour

• Labour challenges Ipswich public toilet closures - 8 September 2010
• Labour's Ipswich councillors concerned about classroom cuts - 26 June 2010
• Ipswich's £3.5m housing cuts sent back to the drawing board - 31 October 2008