PLAYTIME at nurseries and children’s centres across Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale has been given a £230,000 boost.

Outdoor play areas across the three boroughs will benefit from revamped roundabouts and spruced-up swings as the result of a funding programme overseen by Lancashire County Council.

The main beneficaries include Colne, Pendleside and Nelson’s Walton Lane children’s centres, Little Acorns Community Day Care in Burnley and The Hedgehog Club at Staghills Nursery near Rawtenstall, which have each received around £20,000.

County Hall officials set up a special panel to determine the most deserving cases, comprised of councillors, education and childcare experts, and NHS workers.

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said that places which had been identified by Ofsted, or the authority, as requiring extra help with their early years provision, were given top priority.

He added: “Each setting will be asked to develop appropriate schemes and submit proposals, with detailed costs and written quotations, to the county council.

“Each proposal will need to demonstrate value for money within their allocation before work can commence.”

The previous Government allocated £13million to the county over three years for improved childcare facilities and the East Lancashire boroughs have shared in a £1million spending round for 2010-11.

Funding winners

BURNLEY: Burnley Wood children’s centre – £20,000; Taywood Extended Services – £19,600; The Pippins at Rosegrove Nursery – £8,000.

PENDLE: Lomeshaye Village Day Nursery – £5,000; Trawden Riverside children’s centre – £10,356; St Michael and All Angel’s club, Colne – £10,000; The Beacon Day Nursery, Nelson – £20,000; Smarty Pants Exclusive Childcare, Nelson – £7,040; Lynwood Nursery – £9,409.

ROSSENDALE: Bacup Day Nursery – £10,000; Greenhouse Farm Nursery, Haslingden – £9,000; Haslingden Parish Nursery – £10,000.