HUGE climbing boulders to encourage children to be more adventurous could form part of a £330,000 revamp at play areas in York.

City of York Council has received £328,265 from the Big Lottery Fund to improve and develop local play areas.

It has now come up with a shortlist of seven potential projects to spend the cash on - including the construction of two large climbing boulders at Rawcliffe Country Park.

They would cost £88,000 and would have 24-hour access for all young people, "to encourage them to be more adventurous with and through their play".

Other projects include:

* Therapeutic play zones in three areas of deprivation in York, which would be open to children aged eight to 13, two nights a week, costing £233,762.

* Remodelled play areas in Fishergate, with markings for games and a stage, benches and tables, costing £28,248.

* Enhancing the play area at one side of the Park Grove school field and making it open to the public, at a cost of £117,500.

* New modern and exciting play equipment for Leeside Play Area.

* A number of projects with Running Wild by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust - including a musical playground at St Nicholas Fields, an orienteering trail at Moorlands Nature Reserve, a chainsaw sculpture and play trail at Fishponds Wood and at Clifton Backies and Acomb Wood.

The council received 24 applications from play areas in York for part of the funding - totalling more than £2 million.

Each application was assessed by a panel, including officers from Youth Services, Children's Fund and Neighbourhood Pride units.

The panel came up with a shortlist of seven suitable projects and a further list of reserve projects.

But the seven schemes will not get all the money they wanted. They originally requested £672,800 - more than double the available grant.

One or two projects are expected to be withdrawn because they will not be feasible.

Some elements of the bids will be taken out and each project will be asked to revisit their costings.

The money is to be spent between 2007 and 2010 and the chosen schemes must meet the Big Lottery Fund's criteria of free of cost, freely chosen and freely accessed.

The plans will be considered by a meeting of the executive members and children's services advisory panel next Monday.