Work under way for new splash park in town

Work to revamp a closed splash park is now under way.

The Coate Water splash park in Swindon, Wiltshire, will reopen before the summer holidays as part of a £475,000 project.

It is designed to be fully accessible and will include a paddling pool, water features and games.

Swindon Borough councillor Chris Watts told the BBC the council also wants to open a new cafe and bring the former pitch and putt back.

The new facility will cost £425,000

Pictures of the brand new splash park were revealed to the public on Tuesday, showing a sloped design allowing wheelchair users to access the paddling pool.

The splash park will also incorporate rumble strips, handrails and interactive elements located outside the main water feature.

The changes were agreed after a survey and focus group were carried out last year.

Mr Watts, who is in charge of environment and transport at Swindon Borough Council, said inclusivity was a "big part of the feedback".

"We were looking to see if people wanted a paddling pool or a splash park, and we ended up coming up with a hybrid which hopefully satisfies both needs," he told BBC Radio Wiltshire.

The park's creators wanted it to be as inclusive as possible

Mr Watts said the scheme is being paid for with money the council has gained from developers.

He described the previous facility as "end of life" before it was closed.

He said: "It was just limping along to the point where we first came in as the new administration we were told it was too expensive to keep it going, so we had to shut it down.

"We had the money set aside, it had been there for a few years. It was just about leveraging that money to get it working for Coate Water and the people of Swindon."