Planned cuts to the playbuilder scheme have been blasted by a city councillor after the national programme of play equipment upgrades was halted last month.

A number of parks and play areas across the city have already benefited from the national playbuilder scheme, but others are now set to miss out, including that planned for Grange Lane in Westfield ward.

Holgate councillor Sonja Crisp, also Labour's leisure spokesperson, said:

"The planned cuts are terrible news for those playbuilder parks and play areas in the planning, as work had to cease as of last month when the letter from the Department for Education landed at the council. Garnett Terrace in my ward and Grange Lane in Westfield ward were two such play areas which will now have to go without and this is a real letdown for local residents.

"There is some irony in taking this decision in the run up to national play day, an annual celebration of children's right to play. Whilst this may be regarded a right, it means nothing if children don't have the appropriate provision near to where they live.

"It's disappointing the way that Executive Member Nigel Ayre has taken this decision lying down, without fighting York's corner. His allegiance to the national coalition government is clearly coming before the interests of children in the city. Labour councillors and council candidates across York are campaigning against this cut to children's play provision".

It has emerged that following the Government edict on halting any construction work on agreed plans, that Copmanthorpe playbuilder has already had building work funded and commenced, but completion of the work remains uncertain.

Labour's leader Coun. James Alexander has written to the council's Chief Executive to request that Copmanthorpe work is completed, arguing that funds already committed will be wasted if it is abandoned at this stage, and that it could cost almost as much to reverse the work already completed.

Funding has been cut for play equipment in Heworth, Guildhall, Heworth Without, Chapelfields and Haxby, as well as funding for locations that were to be determined in other wards, resulting in an approximate loss of £0.6m to the city.