PLAY areas on a Ledbury estate could be transformed by next summer, with new designs and equipment in place.

But this depends on multiple grant applications, to the total tune of £20,000, being successful.

The driving force behind the community-led scheme is BROSPA, which stands for the Browning Road Outside Play Areas group, on the New Mills.

It's chairman, town councillor Paul Winter, said: "We need to get a compelling case put together."

Cllr Winter said that advice would come from Herefordshire Council, including which bodies might be suitable for grant applications.

But funding would not come from Herefordshire Council itself.

He said: "We think we'll need to put in multiple applications - perhaps six to ten."

When asked when new equipment might be seen on play areas, Cllr Winter said: "Spring would be optimistic", but he added: "It's looking more like the start of summer, 2015."

There are three play areas on the estate which need attention - an area for small children, under eight, which has recently suffered from vandalism, in the form of graffiti; a netball and football area, and an adjacent play area, with climbing frame, for older children.

BROSPA has been talking to local residents and youngsters to gauge local opinion and to come up with ideas.

One idea is the removal of the existing goal/netball structure and replacing it with "a new metal design in keeping with the surroundings and re-positioning at a 90 degree angle, so that balls are directed away from the neighbouring property gardens onto the grassed area".

The climbing frame for older children could be replaced "with something that provides more of a challenge, such as a jungle climber".

A vandalised and battered steel obstacle drum, on the play for older children, has been removed and will be sold for scrap.

BROSPA is in the process of setting up a bank account, and the money raised will be credited to this account.

New pieces of equipment, such as "stepper logs of boulders" could be introduced to the sites.

Work that BROSPA has already carried out includes cutting back hedges to both the small and larger play areas, to improve visibility and child safety.