A MAJOR revamp of Diglis fields is under way, after work started to improve the children's play area.

The £912,000 overhaul will see 11 different projects completed in the next 18 months.

Improvements have now begun In earnest, with existing older equipment due to be removed from the play park.

New "state-of-the-art" equipment will be installed during May and June in the hope it will be ready in time for the school summer holidays.

The total budget for all of the projects is being funded by private developers' Section 106 agreements - in return for planning permission on new houses in the city.

Back in December, your Worcester News revealed how the city council had settled upon the 11 schemes for the Diglis fields, with a report describing it as "an increasingly important" part of the city.

This described the walking and cycling routes in and around Diglis as a "significant leisure facility" used used by "hundreds of thousands" of people each year.

David Sutton, service manager for a cleaner and greener city, said: "The innovative transformation of this play area is just one of a number of steps we are taking to enhance the Diglis playing fields, Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve and the adjacent riverside.

"Local residents and visitors will greatly benefit from the raft of improvements we are making to one of Worcester’s much loved open spaces."

Following consultation with residents, the city council said "imaginative, state-of-the-art equipment will be put in place, with different play areas providing separate experiences for both younger and older children".

There will be a natural play mound complete with tunnel, slide, pull-up rope, roundabouts and a Totem pole for younger children.

Older children will be able to enjoy two types of swings, a pick up sticks-style climbing frame, a seesaw and zigzag twister.

The city council said that the "play equipment will be positioned so that it blends in well with the wider park and provides appealing views of the surrounding area".

There will also be a seating area between the two parts, where parents can keep an eye on their kids.

The city council wants to complete the entirety of the work in Diglis by the end of 2016.