Twenty-two play areas out of 48 in Poole are to benefit from more than £1 million of improvements.

Borough of Poole has published a list of the 11 play areas that will be improved in 2009/10 and a further 11 in 2010/11 with between £30,000 and £80,000 and will now consult on what youngsters want.

“We want to extend it to eight to 13-year-olds,” said Cllr Tony Woodcock, portfolio holder for children’s services.

“We don’t have enough exciting play provision for that age group. It needs to be challenging.”

Mike Gotobed, play development officer, said: “It won’t necessarily be equipment. It could be climbing stones, banks, ditches – you name it, everything is in the melting pot.”

Funding has come through the government’s National Play Strategy and the Playbuilder project will firstly benefit Alexandra Park, Springdale Rec, Foreland Road, Turlin Moor Pavilion, Dawkins Road, Haskells Rec, Oakdale Park, Allenby Rec, Uppleby Road, Sherborn Crescent and Beamish Road.

“In 2003 we had 38 play parks and we now have 48,” said Cllr Peter Adams, cabinet portfolio holder for leisure. He said there were eight left to be looked at and developer contributions could be used to improve those.

“I hope that within the next three to four years we will have gone through all the play areas to a greater or lesser extent,” he said.

Cllr Woodcock, who is also Play Champion for Poole said: “The Playbuilder project is a fantastic opportunity for us to provide many more children with the chance to enjoy better play areas in their own communities.”

Play parks in the second wave are: Pergin Rec, Belben Road, Fenner’s Field, Selkirk Close, Millfield, Charter Road, Broadstone Rec, Halstock Crescent, Puddletown Crescent, Scott Road and Hatchard’s Field.