And a village hall in the same area will also be upgraded, with money also coming from the REF.

Sandford and Upper Avondale Community Council have been awarded £61,066 to develop an inclusive playpark, including inclusive play equipment, accessible gate and access pathway within the Gilmourton Park area, with facilities for all ages and abilities.

The plans for the park also include picnic areas, tree planting and improved pathways thereby ensuring it is an attractive, year-round location for local children, families and other residents to use.

Sandford Village Hall Association have been awarded £49,167 to refurbish the hall and comply with disability access.

Construction and refurbishment works will include a disabled access toilet, replacement internal doors and standards to comply with wheelchair access, replacement windows, interior decor improvements and a parking area with wheelchair access and egress paths.

Chair of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee, Councillor Robert Brown said: “Both of these projects are tremendous news for people who stay in the Sandford area, and the wider community.

“Once complete, the park improvements mean it will be a focal point for the community, providing a meeting area for children and parents alike, and a location for community events.

“The village hall was last upgraded more than 20 years ago and needs a full programme of repairs, as well as improvements to areas where the hall is noncompliant with disability access legislation.

“Both projects have been established in response to community demand, will improve rural exclusion, events and leisure activities for the area.”

The Renewable Energy Fund is for capital projects within 10km of a participating renewable energy development.

There are 39 participating windfarms contributing a total of approximately £900,000 per year for communities in South Lanarkshire. The level of funding available depends on the proximity to a contributing windfarm and the scale of the windfarm.

Capital projects are usually long-term projects to acquire, develop, improve and/or maintain a capital asset such as land, buildings or roads or one-off activities, and further information can be found on the council website.