THE popular and well-used Beech recreation ground on Wellhouse Road is to be developed thanks to The Veolia Environmental Trust.

It has awarded Beech village hall and recreation ground management committee a grant of £12,343 to fund the installation of a rope climbing frame.

The grant is one of 43 awarded to community and environmental projects in England, with a grant total being over £980,000. Veolia awards grants through the Landfill Communities Fund and since 1997 has awarded over £10.9m to 276 projects in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Veolia will now start working with the management committee to finalise their project’s details, including its start date, so that work can begin as soon as possible.

Treasurer and committee member Anne Whitaker says: “The new climbing frame will be a fantastic addition to the recreation ground, which is already very popular with children living and visiting the village.”

Executive director of The Veolia Environmental Trust Paul Taylor added: “This project will transform the recreation ground.

“We are seeing an ongoing reduction in the amount of funds that we can award, so the group needs to be congratulated on securing its grant in an extremely competitive environment.”