WORK is set to begin on a new £75,000 play park in Uplawmoor.

Uplawmoor Development Trust (UDT) has now secured all required funding for the project which will start next month.

The refurbished play park equipment will be installed on the village's playing fields behind the Mure Hall alongside new picnic tables and pathways.

Fitness equipment for adults will also be built between the site's football goal posts and tennis courts.

The project – which is scheduled to get under way on September 5 and be completed by September 30 – was commissioned after UDT surveyed residents to ask what improvements they wanted to see made to the area.

UDT secretary and project manager David Riddet credited the village's residents for the role they played and said: "It's good news. I took on the job of trying to get the money in for the play park but some of the young mums did a lot of the advanced work.

"It was a mixture of funding from the National Lottery, specifically Awards For All, we got money through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund through EB Scotland Ltd – an approved body of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

"We also got money from what was called the Whitelee Windfarm Fund and a developer contribution from Mactaggart and Mickel.

"It took two years. We sent a questionnaire round the village to see what they would like and did they want a change to the park. Then we had en exhibition at the Gala Day in 2015.

"We had a display and asked people what they wanted and that started the process of finding the funders, filling out the grant applications and the final one came through three weeks ago."

He added: "The old playground equipment is very old fashioned. It's to replace old and tired equipment with new and inspiring equipment and there will be seating for parents and carers.

"There's a section for adults as well which will be on the same park."

The current play park will be out of use during the refurbishment period, however, UDT has announced plans for an official opening day which will place an emphasis on fun for Uplawmoor's younger population.

Details have yet to be confirmed for the park's launch event but residents can stay up-to-date by visiting www.uplawmoor.org or by searching 'Uplawmoor Development Trust' on Facebook.