A NEW slipway could be created at Clevedon's Marine Lake as part of exciting plans to upgrade the seafront facility. The Marine Lake Enthusiasts Society

A NEW slipway could be created at Clevedon's Marine Lake as part of exciting plans to upgrade the seafront facility.The Marine Lake Enthusiasts Society (MARLENS) wants to create a slipway at the beach end of the lake by the children's paddling pool.The work, which has yet to be costed, would be done in two stages with the first part including a revamp of the paddling pool and an area of hard standing where kayaks and canoes could be launched into the sea. The second phase would involve building out a new slipway from the edge of the lake right down to the water's edge. MARLENS president Arthur Knott said: "Our first priority is to tidy up the paddling pool as currently it is a bit of a dump."Stones and rubbish are regularly thrown in the water which makes it difficult to use and poses safety concerns."We want the paddling pool to be an area which can be used by children of people who are perhaps using the lake for other activities such as boating or canoeing. "We are currently talking to a contractor about what our vision is and how it can be achieved."Mr Knott said he hoped the slipway would be used in a similar way to that one at the Clevedon Pier end of the beach. He added: "Obviously the new slipway will provide better access to the sea for people using the lake for sports such as kayaking and canoeing."Boats will also be able to launch off it and we hope children will use it for activities such as crab fishing."This particular end of the lake needs some attention and the aim of this vision is to make the whole area more user friendly."MARLENS is also pressing for the railings by the steps leading down to Marine Lake to be restored, complaining they are now in a dilapidated and dangerous condition.