Children will soon be able to celebrate playtime when work starts to renovate 55 of the Oxford's most run-down play parks in a £2.5m project starting in November.

Today the Oxford Mail can reveal which sites will be modernised and when the work will be carried out.

It is the first time a definitive list of the city's most rusting play areas has been released and ends years of uncertainty surrounding their future.

The project will see 29 play areas rebuilt in the first year with work starting in little over a month.

A further 26 will be tackled in 2008/09.

The overhaul will breathe new life into old play areas with the city council pumping an average of £50,000 into each site. The project will take two years.

In the longer term, the city's 52 remaining play parks, which are not deemed in such an urgent state of disrepair, will also benefit from renovation.

Council leaders have guaranteed to bring four play areas up to scratch every year for the next 13 years.

A further £4.2m will also be set aside to ensure all equipped play areas in Oxford stay in a decent condition.

In unveiling their programme of work, council chiefs pledged that children would never have to put up with dilapidated and unsafe swings and slides again.

City councillor Antonia Bance, board member for social inclusion and young people, said: "This is very exciting for local kids and families.

"It's really clear that many families across the city want safe, secure play areas.

"But we can't just have a one-off push and then leave the play areas to go to rack and ruin. We're making a commitment to bring them up to scratch and keep them that way for years to come.

"The plan is for kids to never to have to play in rusty, run-down play areas again."

The works come almost 18 months after it was revealed that 14 play areas around the city were under the threat of closure.

Yvonne Lowe, chairman of the Risinghurst and Sandhill Parish Council, said: "This is magic. It's great news for our kids and long overdue."

Mother-of-three Melanie Hiney, 34, from Sermon Close, Headington, was thrilled at plans to regenerate the site in her road.

The play area was on the closure list and this year its swings were taken out leaving children with just a small slide.

She said: "This is fantastic. The kids will be itching to get their hands on new play equipment.

"Four years ago, all our equipment started disappearing and then it was to be closed. "There are children aged seven or eight who have never had anything to play on.

"Now they'll be able to play together and get to know each other."

Susanna Mahlo, a mother-of-one from nearby Baker Close, said: "This is great news for the children. The play area is just an eyesore now."

Mother-of-six Leeann O'Callaghan, 32, from Saunders Road, Cowley, welcomed the plans to rejuvenate a playground off Spencer Crescent in Rose Hill.

The playground is 100 yards from Rose Hill Primary School, which three of her children attend.

She said: "The playground is not very nice at the moment. There is rubbish everywhere and it looks really tatty and horrible. It is not looked after at all.

"This is brilliant news. It is about time something was done."

Mother-of-four Simone Proffitt, 29, from Gwyneth Road, Littlemore, said: "The Rose Hill playground is rubbish.

"It isn't big enough. They haven't got a climbing frame anymore, or a slide.

"I want big swings so bigger kids can go on them."

The list in full, and when they will get their money: YEAR ONE Gillians Park (Chaffinch Walk), Northfield Brook Cuddesdon Way, Blackbird Leys Marigold Close, Northfield Brook Campion Close, Northfield Brook Rowan Grove, Northfield Brook Bartholomew Road (Gaisford Road), Cowley Bernwood Road, Barton & Sandhills Barton Bradley, Barton & Sandhills George Moore Close, Iffley Fields Kersington Crescent, Cowley Normandy Crescent, Lye Valley Nightingale Avenue, Blackbird Leys Mistletoe Green Northfield Brook Ridgefield Road, Cowley Marsh Ridgeway Road, Quarry & Risinghurst Alexandra Courts, Summertown John Allen Centre, Cowley Cholsey Close, Cowley Botley Road Rec, Jericho and Osney Kiln Lane (Sermon Close), Quarry & Risinghurst Quarry Hollow, Quarry & Risinghurst Meadow Lane, Iffley Fields Hinksey Park, Hinksey Park Cutteslowe & Sunnymead Park, Summertown Rose Hill Rec (Spencer Crescent), Rose Hill & Iffley Southfield Park Flats, Cowley Marsh Northway, Headington Hill & Northway Rutherway, Jericho & Osney Titup Hall Drive, Churchill YEAR TWO Ridley Road, Lye Valley Fettiplace Rec, Barton & Sandhills Falcon Close, Northfield Brook Hunters Close, Lye Valley Florence Park, Cowley Lockheart Crescent, Cowley Dene Road Lye, Valley St Christopher's Pace, Temple Road), Cowley Donnington Road (Freelands Road), Iffley Fields Bury Knowle Park, Headington Court Place Farm, Marston South Parks, St Clements Barton Village Rec, Barton & Sandhills Fox Crescent, Hinksey Park Bertie Place, Hinksey Park Valentia Road, Churchill Friars Wharf, Hinksey Park Preachers Lane, Hinksey Park Five Mile Drive, Wolvercote Foxwell Drive, Headington Hill & Northway Wolvercote Green, Wolvercote Wolvercote Lower, Wolvercote Girdlestone Grass, Churchill Broad Oak, Churchill Chillingworth Crescent, Churchill Milham Ford, Headington Hill & Northway