Plottingham playing fields are being revamped with a new skate park, play area and hopefully a zipwire.

Bridport Town Council is looking at options to revived the area near the bus station, with plans also including an events stage and cycle route.

Town surveyor Daryl Chambers said: "Since we did West Bay, everybody wanted a play area like West Bay, so we've decided to start looking at our play areas and start upgrading. We've just finished St Mary's and opened it a couple of weeks ago.

"The idea now is to start moving on to the other play areas, which brought this one up. The skate park we've got down there, although it's functional, its metal and wood and open to the elements, and the way things are going, the concrete ones are becoming more and more popular.

"We want one that is quite adventurous, so we've partnered with Maverick and they've come up with a concept.

"We are going to do an online survey and questionnaire to make sure we produce something that actually everybody wants."

The Bridport Young Persons' Action Trust (BYPAT) charity, which has worked in partnership with the town council towards updating all local recreational facilities, including the West Bay play area and, more recently, the St Mary's play area, has welcomed the plans for Plottingham.

"Within a couple of hours circulating the plans, we received a number of comments and suggestions relating both to the proposed skate park and the children's play area," said Arthur Woodgate of BYPAT.

"These have been passed on to Daryl at the town council, who has made it clear that all responses, regardless of whether they are positive or negative, will be welcomed, considered and, if appropriate, acted upon."

Mr Chambers also decided to look at the area in total.

He added: "The new tennis courts were built around 15 years ago, so the idea would be to introduce floodlights for that facility and for the skate park.

"We're going to revamp the play area, we don't have a design for this yet but when we're working on it we'll go out and consult with everybody.

"We have got several pieces of equipment that we want to get in there because we realise that although it's a small kids play area, we still want to retain that as well, we want it to be for all ages and all abilities.

"When we did West Bay, out of all the things the kids wanted, we delivered everything except the zipwire because it's a long thin narrow site in West Bay and the zipwire takes up a lot of room, so I think this site gives us the opportunity to finally deliver the promise of putting a zipwire somewhere in Bridport.

"The cycle routes will eventually come from Vearse Farm through here to the bus station, which under the local plan and neighbourhood plan is to be a transport hub.

"We're either going to widen the path or bring a route through the site. The two bridges are too narrow so they will be replaced, as is the one on Magdalen Lane, which takes you down into the field behind the medical centre and that goes up to Vearse Farm from there, so we're working on the cycle route as well."

There are also plans to have six solar car ports - to generate electricity - installed where the former ambulance station is, which is owned by Bridport Town Council, along with the Plottingham car park.

Mr Chambers said: "What we would like to in front of the ambulance station, facing the area, is an event stage. Any of the groups can hold fundraisers or events down there. We think it's a good area for this."

The revamp won't happen all at once and the priority will be the skatepark.

Residents are encouraged to share their views and opinions and it's hoped a questionnaire on the skate park will be available on the town council's website this week.

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