GRAND plans for the refurbishment of the Decoy Country Park play park to provide excitement, fun, movement and adventure have been unveiled.

The play park in Newton Abbot will be closed from June 6 for approximately eight weeks while Teignbridge District Council carry out the works.

Last year, councillors agreed to spend a six figure sum on refurbishing the three play zones at Decoy Country Park, with the cost of the refurbishment funded by the Community Infrastructure Levy and S106 funds gained through the planning process.

The works have been delayed as a result of the coronavirus crisis with them initially set to be carried out in 2020, but when complete, it aims to ensure the provision of an updated exciting facility which maintains Decoy Park as a popular outdoor attraction.

And while most of the scheme doesn’t require formal planning permission, the provision of a new 5.4m high timber tree house to replace the existing 5.62m high castle unit does, and this week, the council has submitted a planning application for the works.

The new tree house will be of a similar timber construction as the existing castle unit, will feature a multi deck at a height of 1.45m and a twisting tube side that descends from the tallest deck on the structure at 2.8m, and will feature multiple routes up to the highest platform to ensure good safe movement around the play equipment.

ile the work is carried out, there will be some parking spaces closed off, but the kiosk will be available for refreshments, and there’s lots of spring wildlife to look out for in the park.

The free ‘wellbeing walks’, which take place weekly on Thursday mornings at 11am, will continue, while a Poetry Trail installation around the park, created by the Wild Collaborative project team and Year 4 children from Decoy Primary School, will be installed in the summer.