Inverclyde Council has agreed to act as guarantor to a local community group in order to allow a new play area project to move forward.

Greenock Central Residents Action Group was awarded £75,000 from the local authority's Play Area Investment budget to partially fund a new play area on the site of the existing Sir Michael Street kickabout area in Greenock.

The group successfully applied to the Big Lottery for additional funding on the condition that the proposed site would be secured for a minimum of 10 years.

Environment and Regeneration Convener Councillor Michael McCormick said: "Originally this would have been achieved by the Council leasing the land but during the process of drafting the lease it became apparent some of the land was in fact owned by a private landowner.


"Although happy to lease the land for the new play area in the short term they were unable to guarantee they would not have to take back possession of their land at some point in the future."

The Council has agreed to act as guarantor to the lottery funding which would see it pay back the Big Lottery in the unlikely event the landowner chooses to take back the land.

This would be on a pro rata basis dependent on how long the 10 year lease had to run.

Councillor McCormick added: "Big Lottery has agreed that any funds to be paid back if the land is repossessed could instead be used by the Council to fund another play area project. We can now press ahead with providing a new state of the art play area for Sir Michael Street that will be a fantastic asset for the local community."

(JP/MH)