THE first phase of improvement work to a popular community space in Newton Abbot has been completed.

The old, rotten planting beds at Golden Lions Square have been replaced and new benches installed as Newton Abbot Town Council continues withs its work to improve the much-loved amenity.

The second phase is now underway, Newton Abbot Town Council says.

‘Thank you for your patience as we continue to make these changes in the heart of Newton Abbot’, the council said

Golden Lion Square sits next to the town’s oldest pub, The Golden Lion, which dates to 1623.

In the early 2000s developers had tried to replace the redundant car sales pitch with housing but Teignbridge District Council stepped in and snapped up the site at auction before handing it over to a charitable trust.

Now, Newton Abbot Town Council acts as the square’s custodian.