THOUSANDS of pounds left over from Oxford City Council funds are to be spent upgrading playgrounds - but some projects will miss out on the cash.

One of the projects to get funding from the Cowley area committee is Cholsey Close play area - which was among 17 facing closure earlier this year.

Dermot Nolan, whose children, Sarah and Charlie, use the park every day, said: "I am delighted, that is brilliant news. It's not just the fact they are spending some money, it also signifies that they are working to keep it open."

His wife Debbie Mooney added: "It's very well used and there are children there every day. Once the older children get home from school there are always groups there and it's always busy during the weekend."

Florence Park Community Centre is also to get a £15,000 cash injection.

Ernie White, a community association committee member, said it meant the committee could start drawing up plans.

He said: "That is a really good start and now we can actually start moving forward and deciding on what we can do.

"We want to get a project team together to do a lot of the labouring at the club. Because we have got members who know about building we can actually do a lot of the donkey work ourselves.

"That enables us to reduce the cost quite considerably so hopefully that money can go quite a long way."

Other projects prioritised in the revenue budget include: £8,600 to repair a concrete area outside Florence Park Community Centre and Bowls Club, £3,100 for Cholsey Close play area, £4,000 towards improvements at Florence Park, and £100 to help start the Friends of Florence Park.

The committee decided to fund all projects from its capital budget scheme - even though the cost was nearly £50,000 more than the amount in the budget.

It gave £15,000 for improvements to Florence Park Community Centre, £26,310 for a new Tarmac basketball area at Horspath Road recreation ground, and an estimated £50,000 each for car parking in Cumberland Road and Normandy Crescent.

The main losers were residents from Normandy Crescent.

Their play area is to get £500 towards new goal posts, after wire from the existing goalposts came loose and was deemed dangerous.

But a £47,000 scheme to revamp the park with new equipment will not be getting financial support.

Councillors said there was not enough money to go round.

Saj Malik, Cowley Marsh councillor, said: "We'd like to give everybody everything, but we can't. What's most useful is where the money should be spent."

Mother of three Pauline Ximines, of Normandy Crescent, said she was considering getting a petition together to campaign for improvements.

She said: "I don't think a lot of parents will be happy because not every kid plays football and there is almost nothing else in the park for them to do.

  • Parks bosses who want Oxford's Florence Park to become a flagship green space have been told to think again.

A ten-year management plan and a £29,000 funding bid so the park could be put forward for prestigious Green Flag status were discussed by the Cowley area committee.

But councillors rejected the report and pointed out funds to lock the park and save the flowerbeds were still in doubt.

They said more consultation was needed with the Friends of Florence Park, councillors and the area committee - and pledged just £4,000 towards repainting fencing and a noticeboard.