Part of Bere Alston’s Down Recreation Field is due to be closed during weekdays from Wednesday (November 20) to early December for a replacement new path to be built.

The path is part of a plan by Bere Ferrers Parish Council to increase and widen use of the field for community sport.

The new path will run around the perimeter of the ground to allow better access, so users need not walk through grass and mud. The path will be especially helpful for wheelchair-users and those pushing prams.

The parish council has spent six months raising grant aid for the works, mostly from the Government’s Community Resilience Fund. The work must be completed by the New Year to receive all the funding. It has been carried out by a local contractor which expects to be finished in three weeks, weather permitting.

A parish council spokesman said: “Down Field will become a construction site with heavy machinery and dumper trucks moving material, so for health and safety reasons the council has decided the field, car park and children’s playground will have to be closed from Monday to Friday each week. This includes the existing public footpath which is being closed by Devon County Council. There will be access as normal at weekends. We are sorry that we have to do this at short notice, but we do not want any person or animal to be injured.”

Earlier this year the parish council formed a sports development group to look at improving the field and other ways of increasing sports participation at the field.

Residents were consulted and an exhibition held at the parish hall. In response, residents came up with many new ideas, including refurbishing the public loos and improving the children’s play park. Also, a rounders and women’s football group have been formed as popular choices.