GRAND plans for an outdoor gym and a complete facelift of Winsford Town Park have been revealed.

The park in High Street could be set for a complete makeover, including outdoor gym and play equipment, new park furniture and introduction of wildlife habitats.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) and Winsford Town Council have teamed up to produce the initial plans and they see the park makeover as a key way of attracting people to the town.

Mark Bailey, Winsford Town Council clerk, said: “The project that has been undertaken at the town park is the result of discussions between ourselves and Cheshire West and Chester Council. CWAC have agreed to develop the proposals with our help and we are really happy about that.

“We think the proposals are very exciting and will lead to a complete regeneration of the park.

“We think it’s a very important part of what is happening in the area because we see it as a gateway to the town. It’s almost the first thing you see when coming into the town and not enough is being done with it at the minute so we hope that will change.

“There is a flow from the marina to the park and into town so we want to encourage people who visit the marina to go onto the park and further into Winsford.

New play areas catering for a range of ages, new park furniture including bins, benches and signage and the introduction of wildlife habitats are all included in plans by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Winsford Town Council to give the Winsford Town Park a facelift.

Mark added: “The plans that have been put forward look very exciting and if they come to pass, which we expect they will, we will change the face of the park.

“Thinning out the trees around the park to make it more visible will be a big step. The other part of the project is the introduction of an outdoor gym and play equipment so people can exercise in a more natural environment. That is really exciting stuff.”

The town park sits next to the town centre and leads down to the college and flashes at the bottom of Winsford. It is used regularly by dog walkers and students from the college and schools but at the same time does suffer from anti-social behaviour.

The Neighbourhood Plan identified the park as an important space for local people who felt that open spaces could be much better for recreation, particularly providing young people and children with something to do.

Cllr Brian Clarke, cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure and member of Winsford Town Council, said: “The local community have told us that the park is an important place for them, so we want to make improvements giving people a place they can enjoy and feel proud of.

“Local people will have the opportunity to be part of developing the park by helping with the art installation that will also be included in the facelift.”

Detailed drawings of the scheme will be available shortly to view on the Winsford Town Council notice boards and website, when members of the public will have the chance to make comments regarding the plans for the park.