Glastonbury Town Council has confirmed that money set aside for youth provision could be used to help fund improvements at Abbey Park — one of the town's most used play areas.

The play park, off Magdalene Street, has long been a popular space for families — particularly those living in the town centre who don't have access to gardens or outdoor space.

Councillors discussed concerns raised by residents at a recent meeting, including the removal of two swings for smaller children, issues with access for pushchairs, and the need for general investment in the area.

Councillor Serena Roney-Dougal told the meeting: "Abbey Park is the essential play park for a lot of people — especially those who live in the centre of town and don't have any gardens. If we could maybe prioritise it as somewhere that we're going to go to first, to get it functioning well for the children, that would be very positive."

Councillors were told there was currently an £11,000 underspend from the youth provision budget which could potentially be earmarked for improvements at Abbey Park.

Additional funding is also in place for wider maintenance across the play parks that Glastonbury Town Council is due to take over from Somerset Council as part of its asset and service devolution plans.

Town Clerk Conor Ogilvie-Davidson confirmed that £14,000 had been allocated for maintenance works this financial year, with a further £70,000 earmarked in the budget to support a larger redevelopment of Abbey Park in future years.

He said: "Officers and councillors will be very busy looking at these different bits of land and additional responsibilities — how we want to do it for the betterment of Glastonbury."

Councillor Terry Napper added: "Abbey Park is the only park in the centre of town, and it's used by lots of families. It would be good to see it prioritised for investment."

The town council is expected to set up a new services committee later this year, which will look at how the town's parks and green spaces are managed and maintained.