A PROPOSAL to invest £1m in east Cleveland's 68 playgrounds will be put before councillors next week.

The plan has been formulated after Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council were hit with 19 compensation claims from people injured in the parks, which have led to payouts totalling £64,300 to date.

Parks manager Ged Demoily and his team want £200,000 a year to spend on a programme of modernisation for the parks over the next five years.

The bid, the second to be made after a previous one was unsuccessful last year, follows a major safety study carried out by the National Playing Fields Association on behalf of the council.

The report states: "The borough council, if it is to implement a pro-active approach, will have a massive task on its hands in introducing a programme of safety, refurbishment, replacement of old equipment and development of new play areas."

The extra money would be spent on replacing old equipment, safety measures and further risk assessments. At present, the annual budget is £34,000 a year, roughly £500 per park.

Other issues which need to be looked at include leasing equipment, maintenance cost levels and access to private money.

The council's executive committee will be discussing the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, at Eston Town Hall.