COMMUNITY plans to give a New Mills play area a £24,000 upgrade have taken a major step forward, with the backing of the town council.

Town councillors have agreed to put £1000 into the pot, which will kick-start a major grant application process.

If all goes to plan, more grants with be forthcoming, including £10,000 from Awards for All and £2,000 from Severn Waste Services, the company which runs the recycling plant on the Little Marcle Road.

Grant applications for these grants will now be completed and sent.

The Browning Road Outside Space Play Area (BROSPA) Group, which is headed by town councillor, Paul Winter, needed the money from the town council to show that fund-raising had started.

This allows the group to seek further grants.

Speaking at a meeting of the town's Finance and General Purposes Committee last week, Cllr Rob Yeoman said: "BROSPA needs some funds to show it has got some. I say £1000 from our October Fayre budget is a kick-start."

This was agreed by a vote; but several councillors wondered whether the fund-raising total was too high.

Cllr Tony Bradford asked Cllr Winter, who lives on the New Mills estate, "How sure are you that you will get other funding?"

Cllr Winter said: "You have to be optimistic and put a reasonable business case forward.

"If we don't hit our target, we will re-evaluate, but we will not spend anything on the way."

If the scheme should flounder, any money given to BROSPA by the town council will be returned.

Originally, BROSPA asked for £5000 from the town council, but this was not agreed.

Cllr Richard Hadley said: "It's an excellent project. The fact is, BROSPA has taken the initiative. Good luck to them for doing all the leg work.

"In Ledbury Town Council terms, £5000 is quite a lot of money; but having said that, it is a very worthwhile project."

Cllr Liz Harvey, a town and Herefordshire Councillor for Ledbury, asked whether BROSPA had approached Herefordshire Council to see if any so called "Section 106" money, - planning gain windfalls, might be available to boost funds.

She said: "I am happy to make an enquiry with the Section 106 officer. It strikes me that this is a place to look for funding."

Cllr Winter said: "I will gladly take up your offer to approach him in case that option has been missed."

BROSPA is made up of New Mills residents, from the Browning Road area, and the group carried out a survey involving forty school children, "to identify need",before putting together an action plan.

The group hopes to replace a large climbing frame and football and netball goal; to introduce new equipment and to "brighten up existing structures".

Cllr Winter said: "The purchase of equipment and commencement of works cannot start until all funding is secured. The end of 2015 is a realistic timescale."