Liverpool Daily Post
Apr 4 2008
By Rob Merrick
MERSEYSIDE will lead a new drive to lure children away from TVs and computer screens as part of a £235m cash injection to build exciting new play areas.
Knowsley will be given £2m to build adventure play- grounds for eight to 13-year- olds, one of 30 less prosperous places targeted for help.
Such playgrounds will boast super-size climbing frames, assault courses and forts to attract older children who increasingly shun traditional outdoor play.
Meanwhile, Sefton and Halton are among 43 areas that will each receive £1m for better play areas, to reverse a trend that has left more children cooped up indoors.
And every local authority in the country will receive a share of the £235m, which will pay for a total of 3,500 new or rebuilt play areas across England.