YOUNGSTERS in the Westland Road area of Yeovil have won their campaign for better play facilities.
They canvassed MP David Laws when his roving advice centre visited the area.
And now Mr Laws has been informed by South Somerset District Council that £25,000 has been earmarked for improvements to the Westland Road play area.
The play area stands over a Roman Villa, a scheduled ancient monument, and the extent of the refurbishment will depend on permission to build over the site from English Heritage.
Said Mr Laws: "I am delighted to see that the council has earmarked £25,000 to refurbish the play area in Westland Road.
"I know that this is a play area which many local children and parents would desperately like to see improved.
"The council will now consult with local residents over the summer, asking them and their children what they would like to see in the play area.
"I know that some children want to see football posts and the younger ones want batter play equipment.."
Mr Laws warned, however, that there was "a little way to go" before the Westfield Road project was completed.
"The biggest hurdle will be in gaining consent from English Heritage to build on top of the Roman Villa, which is underneath the site.
"If permission is granted then detailed plans will be drawn up in the autumn and building can start at the beginning of next year."
In a letter to Mr Laws, Rob Parr, South Somerset District Council's Area South Play and Landscape Officer, said they were two years into a programme of refurbishment of play areas and the Westland Road play area was the next on the list.
A budget of £25,000 has been earmarked for the project but Yeovil Town Council had yet to formally commit the funding in this year's financial plan.
Mr Parr also thought there might be opportunities to secure additional funding through the planning process.
"Due to the nature of this work, I expect the process to lead into 2003 at which point funding may have been secured," he added.