Vandalised children's swings are to be replaced with a £23,000 play area designed for children and teenagers.

Roberttown Recreation Ground is to be transformed with a children's playground, in-line skating ramps and a picnic area with money from Kirklees Council.

The design for the area is to be revealed by council officers next week.

And villagers are being invited to inspect the plans to ensure the community gets the facilities it wants.

Councillor Tim Crowther, (Heckmondwike, Lab) said he hoped the new play area would prove popular.

He said: "I was happily surprised when I saw what the Council had come up with. The play area is much more ambitious than I had hoped for. Young people complain they have nothing to do and hopefully this will provide them with somewhere to go where they won't disturb other people."

The design for the play area was drawn up after two teenage in-line skaters, David Brodowicz, of Sunnyside Avenue, Robert-town, and Ashley Geoffrey, of nearby Wheatlands Drive, met with the head of Kirklees Leisure and Recreation Services to discuss their needs last year.

They had suggested a split play area for skaters and children - and had presented a 68-name petition to Coun Crowther calling for action. Kirklees approved the spending of £5,000 on the skate area last year.

A further £18,000 will be spent installing playground equipment suitable for children from two years old to 12 - with some of the money coming from housing developers which built homes in Church View.

Vandalised swings, beside Roberttown Community Centre, will be replaced with new equipment plus a picnic table. The plans can be inspected at 7pm on Tuesday, May 18, at Roberttown Scout Hut.

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