Play facilities in Lincoln are to undergo a £100,000 transformation as part of a local authority strategy.

The City of Lincoln Council gave full approval at the end of June to plans to extend play areas at two sites in the city. There is also a proposal to create a new £60,000 play area in the city if approval is given by the council in August.

It is part of a project to improve play facilities in Lincoln outlined in the council's Play Strategy, which was produced in 2007 following consultation with local communities.

Plans for The Lawn play area will see £41,000 invested to fund the installation of i.play equipment, providing children with full body, high energy exercise to help tackle issues surrounding childhood obesity.

A further £57,000 is earmarked for the Sudbrooke Drive play area in Ermine, with a new sports wall among planned play equipment installations at the site, while the proposed new play area development at King George's Field will feature a climbing frame, spider's web and a youth shelter.

The council's portfolio holder for leisure and sport, Cllr Keith Weaver, said: "Ensuring we have adequate play areas for children of all ages is a huge priority for the council. The aim is to have a Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play (NEAP) site in every ward in Lincoln.

"Play is an essential tool for children's development. It provides healthy exercise in a fun environment that is essential in these times of escalating obesity among adults and children."

Funding for each of the play area schemes came from the Big Lottery Fund's 'Children's Play' programme, with £245,537 allocated to the City of Lincoln Council to implement their Play Strategy.

The remaining £83,000 was used to finance Lincoln's PlayRanger scheme, a three-year project to take mobile play equipment to sites in the city which currently have none.