Saumarez Park playground appeal to be launched

The plans include increasing the area covered by the playground to allow more equipment to be installed

An appeal to raise more than £500,000 to renew the playground at Saumarez Park will be launched on 16 January.

Guernsey's Environment Department said it hoped to build the new playground, which will be bigger than the current one, during 2012.

However, it said that depended on raising the funds and getting planning permission for the changes.

The launch will involve a public display of the plans at Les Cotils.

The department said it had plans to increase the range of equipment if a total of £750,000 was raised.

Deputy Environment Minister Jenny Tasker said: "We are under no illusions that it will be a challenge to achieve this level of support in the current financial climate.

"However, the business community has put its weight behind providing for this much-loved playground in the past and we sincerely hope that they will want to support the island's children now."

The States pays for the maintenance, but the playground has always been privately funded.

The last update was in 1993 at the cost of £300,000, which was provided by a local trust.