PLANS to spend £100,000 to transform dilapidated tennis courts into a new recreational activity area have been given a boost.

Earlier this year Burnham and Highbridge town councillor Mike Murphy put forward plans to redevelop the Crosses Penn Gardens in Burnham-on-Sea into two new all weather multi-use games areas with new lighting.

At a meeting on Monday (September 9) town councillors unanimously agreed to support in principle an application to Sedgemoor District Council for £19,212 of RLT2 contributions to be earmarked towards the project.

If they are built one of the new games areas will be used solely for tennis and the other area will be used for netball, football and hockey.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Murphy, said: "I am absolutely delighted the council has supported our application for the RLT2 funds to be allocated to the project.

"We now have a further £80,000 to raise and the job begins in earnest.

"We have set up a working group to deal with Crosses Penn and have already had a positive meeting with Scott Mason from Sedgemoor District Council.

"I am pleased that our councillors have decided to support this proposal which will benefit our community."

Cllr Murphy said the project will cost around £100,000 and the working group is looking for grant funding from a variety of sources.

He said the working group met with representatives from Sedgemoor District Council on Tuesday (September 10) and went on a tour of the site to see what work would need to be done and he is excited to get the scheme off the ground.

"We are looking at national grants, sports grants and lottery grants in order to get this project off the ground," Cllr Murphy said.

"We have had fantastic support from SPARK Somerset who have teamed up with us on this project.

"We are forming a network of people to help us go forward and deliver this project as it is vital to help the wellbeing of our children and adults in our community.

"There is a lot of hard work to be done but I am looking forward to getting this project done."