PLAY equipment at Portishead's Lake Grounds is to get a makeover. North Somerset Council has earmarked £40,000 to upgrade the children's playground at the beauty spot. Proposals are currently being drawn up and once complete, the public will be consulted

PLAY equipment at Portishead's Lake Grounds is to get a makeover.North Somerset Council has earmarked £40,000 to upgrade the children's playground at the beauty spot.Proposals are currently being drawn up and once complete, the public will be consulted on the scheme.Portishead councillor Jon Gething said: "We want to double the size and enclose the green space between the cafe and the boat hut for children's play equipment."We want to look at including sand based play equipment for the younger children and generally tidy up the area. We also want to look at introducing some play equipment for older children such as a climbing tower and zip wire."Cllr Gething said he was also planning to apply to Portishead and North Weston Town Council asking it to match fund the £40,000 already earmarked by the district council.He added that funding bids to other organisations such as Yanley and North Somerset Environmental Company (YANSEC) could also be submitted."Ideally it would be great to spend around £100,000 on the Lake Grounds and really upgrade the equipment not only for smaller children but the older ones as well," he added."The Lake Grounds is the premier park in Portishead and we want to enhance it as much as possible not only for the residents but also for visitors. "I am very pleased that North Somerset Council has committed funds to such a project and I hope other funding bodies will follow suit."*PORTISHEAD and North Weston Town Council is also on the hunt for land for a second skateboard park in the town.Councillors have asked the Portishead Quays Consortium, which is developing thousands of new homes in the town, to identify land suitable for a skating facility in East Portishead.Cllr Jon Gething said: "We do have a skateboard facility at Merlin Park but it is no way big enough for all the young people in Portishead."Skating is a very popular pastime among young people and I have even seen teenagers racing down Avon Way and on other pavements in the town which clearly raises health and safety issues."We have asked the developers to come up with sites they own which they think would be suitable for a new facility."I feel that the developers have a moral duty to all the new people they are attracting to the town as a result of the new homes.