Difficult decisions are being made to share out a greatly reduced sum to improve play areas across Poole.

The Borough of Poole was awarded £1.1million in government funding in 2009 to improve 22 play areas for eight to 13-year-olds.

The Playbuilder scheme was to be carried out over two years and the first 11 were improved, using a grant of £536,753 topped up with developer contributions.

However the £610,170 originally allocated by government for the second year was clawed back by the coalition.

Later, a greatly reduced £365,126 was reinstated – not enough to spread over the remaining 11 play areas.

The council’s environment overview and scrutiny committee has now recommended the available funds are allocated to six of the original play areas in most need of improvement.

They are Hatchards Field at Alderney, Selkirk Close in Merley, Parkway on Canford Heath, Pergin Recreation Ground and Millfield, both at Creekmoor, and Charter Road at Bearwood.

Any money remaining will be used to fund improvements to other play areas.

Cllr Tony Trent, from Alderney, who had appealed to cabinet for the funds, which are not ring-fenced, to be spent on Playbuilder, is lobbying for the three play areas in his ward.

Cllr Janet Walton, cabinet member for children’s services, said despite the funding cut, the council hoped to provide “meaningful improvements” to the six play grounds identified.

“We recognise there is strong support for every one of the 11 sites on the original Playbuilder list for year two,” she said.

“The level of funding now available has been almost halved but we are still able to offer much-needed and meaningful improvements at six sites.

“We feel it is better to target the limited resource on some rather than all of these play areas to make a real difference.”