WORK has begun on a new £70,000 village play park.

After years of fund-raising, it had been feared plans for Cornsay Colliery’s new playground would be scrapped after the Government slashed the £235m Playbuilder programme last summer.

However, the coalition performed a U-turn and handed Durham County Council more than £600,000 to complete phase two of its Playbuilder work, meaning 13 play areas could go ahead.

Cornsay Colliery’s will include a climbing boulder, climbing ship, mega swing, climbing net, spring animals and football facilities, costing a total of £71,040.

The fund included nearly £50,000 from Playbuilder, £10,000 from the Area Action Partnership and £5,000 each from Cornsay Parish Council and ESB Wind Farm Community Fund.

The work will be organised by Groundwork North East and carried out by Brandon-based Brambledown. It is expected to take up to two months to complete.

The climbing ship was chosen because the playground site was formerly a brickyard, which sent materials to be used as ballast on whaling ships bound for the Falkland Islands.

Barbara Armstrong, chair of Cornsay Parish Council, led a turf-cutting ceremony today.

She said: "We were living in fear we were going to lose our funding. I’m so pleased work is starting."

County councillor Joe Armstrong said: "We’re a very small and close-knit community here in Cornsay Colliery. We’re very pleased to be using a local contractor (Brambledown), somebody we know and trust, for a project like this."

Villagers enjoyed refreshments afterwards in the Royal Oak pub.

Meanwhile, Cornsay Colliery is set for more than £15,000-worth of anti-speeding measures.

Couns Joe Armstrong and Malcolm Campbell have given £9,000 and £6,250 respectively from their member’s budgets to pay for a new crossing island, road markings and signs, partly to help create a safe crossing for children wanting to use the new play area.