Bromyard Playing Fields could have almost £40,000 spent on it in two years, under a major improvement programme currently being considered by the Town Council.

The playing fields working party, which met this week, is now in a position to judge what the planned developments would cost, in the light of safety regulations and other considerations.

Plans to put a skateboard area near to the existing play area are likely to be revised, because of possible noise nuisance from the new facility, affecting local residents.

Town clerk, Mike Cresswell said the skateboard area could still be on the Playing Fields site, off York Road, but it would have to be further down the field, remote from the existing swings area.

He said this would push the cost up. The likely cost of the skateboard area, if approved by Council, would now be between £15,000 and £18,000.

Mr Cresswell said the matter would have to be decided either way by October, when councillors look at the budgets for the next financial year.

Members of the playing fields working party have also expressed concern about the level of safety surfacing under existing play equipment.

At present, safety surfacing is only around the newer facilities. The majority of play equipment has no safety surfacing under it. Mr Cresswell estimated the cost of surfacing to be £20,000, an outlay that could be spread out over two years out of the £10,000 annual safety and improvements budget.