MORE than £15,000 is being taken out of unused Covid-19 funds to help repair Inverness play parks.
Areas such as Aird and Loch Ness and Culloden and Ardersier will be allocated £15,259 to allow the Council’s amenity services to improve and fix up the public spaces.
The decision for the wards to use the unspent funds to assist children and adults in deprived areas after the pandemic was taken back on January 7, 2021, at a meeting of the Highland Council.
The leader of Inverness and Area, Councillor Ian Brown said: “We are delighted to have been able to approve the repurposing of funds from the Covid-19 fund and to allocate this towards play parks.
“Supporting young people and families in these cash-strapped recovery times is very important for those that need play facilities close to home. We hope that these repairs and improvements to play areas will make a difference in local communities.”
Ward members first indicated support for investing in the play parks at a meeting with Amenity Services in March 2023.
Culloden and Ardersier, ward 17, has a total of £28,504 remaining in its Covid-19 budget and it was decided that up to £21,000 would be used to support Croy Playing Field.
Any of the allocated funds not sent will be used to supplement the £7504 balance up to £10,350 required for the play park repairs.
Ward 12, Aird and Loch Ness, will split £1145 across five play parks and ward 14, Inverness Central, will use £2000 to improve three of them.
A total of £1800 will be given to ward 16, Inverness Millburn, to use for Eight Acres playing field and Grebe Avenue play area.
Other uses for the leftover money include spending £6285 to replace Muirtown Primary School’s polytunnel with a more sustainable version and helping more projects in Badenoch and Strathspey.
