Outdoor gym set to be moved and upgraded

Bovey Tracey Town Council said the existing equipment would be replaced and moved to a new location in the park

Work to replace and move an ageing outdoor gym in a Devon park is set to begin before the end of the year.

Plans have been put forward to move the gym in Mill Marsh Park in Bovey Tracey, from its current location near the River Bovey to a new one close to the skate park.

Bovey Tracey Town Council said it was investing £60,000 in the project which included a rubberised surface and new equipment.

Mayor Sheila Brooke said she was "very proud" the town would continue to offer "such terrific facilities" in a park which was the "envy of many other communities".

Concerns were also raised that the current site was remote from the rest of the park

Speaking at a council meeting on Monday, Brooke said the gym's current location was "less than ideal owing to potential damage to tree roots and erosion caused by people moving from one piece of equipment to the other".

The council said other sites had been considered but it wanted to keep much of the park available for large community events.

It added users would be able to download a free app to assist with their fitness regimes, along with the hope of organised community heath events.

The old site would be restored to grassland, it added.