A NEW play park in Malvern is beginning to take shape.

New equipment has started being put into place in a £500,000 revamp of the play area in Priory Park.

Wooden posts for the new climbing frames have been put in as work continues.

When finished, the play area will include natural boulders, hobbit holes, a hollow tree trunk, rope bridge, basket swing and a giant dragonfly.

The revamp is set to be completed in March this year, having been in the works for a number of years.

Plans were published back in 2019 and earlier in 2016, when more than 440 people responded to a consultation.

A third of responses graded it as "poor" or "very poor" and two-thirds said it was too small.

The council is working with Avery Landscapes Ltd for the project, which will include sustainable timber, planting and materials to give the park a more rustic feel.

It also said care has been taken to ensure no damage will occur to the existing tree roots in that side of the park.

The play area replacement is part of the wider improvement plan for Priory Park which includes refurbishment to the shelters, de-silting the upper pond and more.

Elsewhere in the park, the lower pond is being de-silted and partially drained.

This is the first work of its type to be done there in 30 years.

Council staff have already partially drained the pond, with Cllr Peter Whatley, portfolio holder for resources at Malvern Hills District Council, saying: "It is so exciting to see the next phase of our Priory Park improvements underway.

"It has been 30 years since the pond was cleaned out and the additional works will improve the water quality, making it suitable for wetland wildlife to thrive.

"These works are essential and all part of our commitment to improving and making the most of our wonderful environment."