THE children of Bovey Tracey had the opportunity to inspect plans for a brand new play area in Mill Marsh Park this week, with work set to begin this month.

The area will replace the existing play park installed 15 years ago, with the entire site being redeveloped.

Now the plans have been finalised, work will begin in mid-October and continue for six weeks.

Cllr Sheila Brookes, Mayor and Chairman of the Friends of Mill Parish Park, said: ‘We first showed the plans off a couple of weeks ago, but it was a good opportunity for people to be able to come and talk to us and for the children to see them as well.

‘The general reaction was that people were really excited, the play park is very well used by the residents and it also brings people from surrounding areas into Bovey to play there as well.’

The plans for the play area coincided with the opening of a new youth shelter in the park, finished last week.

Cllr Sheila added: ‘We need families to be able to use facilities that aren’t going to have to cost them anything, so we’re incorporating a bigger picnic area so people will be able to come sit down and have picnics as well.

‘We’re going to offer the existing play equipment to other organisations so it can be reused and not wasted.’

‘We have a lot of public events, bike events, Party in the Park, the carnival, the Craft Festival. Every few months, there’s something going on. So to have this added facility for people as they use the town is lovely.’