A PROJECT worth more than half a million pounds will help develop safer and healthier places for young children to play and walk.

Better Start Bradford has awarded its £518,000 Better Place contract to Groundwork North, East and West Yorkshire, a charity which works to create green spaces, improve prospects and promote greener living and working.

Better Place will work with people in the Better Start Bradford areas to develop safer and healthier places for children under four to play and walk, and increase access to green spaces.

The project will also find ways to reduce exposure to harmful traffic fumes for pregnant women and small children.

Groundwork will start the three-year project on February 1. Better Place will identify and oversee improvements to the local environment in the Better Start Bradford areas – Little Horton, Bowling and Barkerend and Bradford Moor – with the aim of providing a healthier and happier environment for babies, young children and families.

The project will be delivered in collaboration with Bradford Council, Public Health, voluntary and community sector groups and Better Start Bradford projects.

Michaela Howell, programme director at Better Start Bradford, said: “As the name suggests, Better Place is all about making our local area a great place for families. The project will explore how we can help families have access to good quality parks, other green spaces and places to play, and safe walking and cycling routes where they are protected from harmful pollution.

“There’s so much opportunity for making sure our local area is a safer, healthier, and happier place to bring a child into the world. We are very excited about this project getting underway.”

Peter Murphy, operations director at Groundwork, added: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Better Start Bradford to deliver their Better Place project.

“This project is all about working with local families to see how we can make improvements in the area to make it a more child and family-friendly place. We’re looking forward to getting out in the community where we will be meeting and talking to families in the area about their needs, hopes and concerns.

“It’s widely accepted that a poor environment affects health and wellbeing, and that applies to babies and small children too. The Better Place project will show how improving and investing in key features of the local environment can improve children’s emotional health and fitness and set them up for life.”