A WORKSHOP was held at a play area in Yate which is undergoing a £148,000 refurbishment to let the public know how the money will be spent.


The refurbishment of the Witches Hat play area, on Westerleigh Road, comes after Yate councillors raised the funds to give the public space a makeover and introduce skate-boarding facilities to the area.


Work began on Monday, March 16 by Bristol based company Touch Wood Entreprises, and a section of the area is now closed to the public to allow work to be carried out.


An interactive workshop was held to encourage members of the public between 3pm and 6pm, where councillors and designers spoke to visitors about the play area, which is owned by Yate Town Council.


Joe Cooper, founder and director of TouchWood Entreprises, said: “We started work today and we can see it is, and is going to be, a big project.


“We’ve only had positive feedback when consulting the plans with people today who have come along, the local people seem happy to see what they’re getting on their doorstep. We aim for the opening to take place on May 1.”


South Gloucestershire councillor for Yate South-East, Tony Davis, said: “I am extremely pleased to see the work is now officially underway. Today has been a good opportunity for residents to come along and see what is going to happen to the play area and where the skate-park will be, which was a facility many parents and young people have been asking for for a long time.”


The refurbishment of the play area was suggested after the council commissioned a youth survey in 2013 and discovered that one of the strong desires which emerged from the young people involved was for additional wheels play facilities, including skate boarding, BMX and scooters in South Yate.


The total cost of the development is around £148,000 in total and the council has secured £100,000 of funding from South Gloucestershire Council from the New Homes Bonus, with the remainder coming from a variety of sources.


Alison Brown, an independent landscape architect who has been hired by Yate Town Council to help with the project, said: “I designed Kingsgate Park in Yate a few years ago and have been in contact with the council, who are very hands-on, positive and not afraid to push the boundaries with the designs.


"We want to make the area more exciting and definitely design around the concept of the new skating facilities which are very important."


The whole play area will close on Monday, March 30 for approximately four weeks for the refurbishment to be carried out.