WARRINGTON Borough Council has apologised to a residents’ association after it wrongly published the group had secured a £62,000 improvement grant.

Officials at Cinnamon Brow Residents’ Association reacted angrily after the council advertised the ‘successful’ grant in its neighbourhood bulletin.

The council’s east neighbourhood board also said it had worked ‘closely’ with CIMBRA to secure the money – £57,000 from Wren, and £5,000 from the National Lottery.

However CIMBRA said various mistakes had been made in the advert including the amount of cash asked for.

Charlie Hulse, secretary at CIMBRA, said: “The east neighbourhood’s board input into this has been absolutely minimal.

“The bid has been done by CIMBRA and Muir.

“This is Warrington Borough Council, again claiming for work being done that has got nothing to do with them.”

A spokesman for Warrington Borough Council said: “It was published in a neighbourhood bulletin that this money had already been secured and we have apologised to the residents’ association for this genuine mistake.

“We fully support members of the residents’ association in their application for funding and hope the bid will be successful.”

The bulletin containing the wrong information was sent to Poulton with Fearnhead Parish Council, with information passed on to residents.

CIMBRA has applied for a £56,000 grant from Wren, according to Mr Hulse, for a new play area on Rowland Close. However, no cash has been requested from the National Lottery.

Mr Hulse said: “We haven’t bid for money from the lottery, and if we had, we would lose it now as it is being advertised before everything has been agreed.”

CIMBRA is hoping the bid to Wren will be successful, with a decision expected in October.

The money will be used to revamp the 30-year-old play area, with equipment planned for different age groups.