A £1MILLION grant is to be invested into overhauling outdoor play facilities in Suffolk, creating new parks and rejuvenating existing ones.The county council outlined its vision of how the parks would look at Whitton Community School in Ipswich yesterday.

A £1MILLION grant is to be invested into overhauling outdoor play facilities in Suffolk, creating new parks and rejuvenating existing ones.

The county council outlined its vision of how the parks would look at Whitton Community School in Ipswich yesterday.

The new and revamped parks will be laid out to encourage children to use their imagination more and will be built from more natural materials. It is hoped the parks will allow children to use the space in a creative way.

Patricia O'Brien, the council's portfolio holder for children, schools and young peoples services, said: “This is clearly fantastic news for Suffolk's children. We want to create places, near their homes, where they can play freely, confidently and safely.

“Play is an essential part of every child's learning and development and help keeps them healthy.”

The money, secured from central government, will be used over the next three years to invest in Suffolk County Council's Play Matters strategy.