YOUNG people have been working to help return a dilapidated Poole BMX track to its former glory.

The track at Haskells’s Recreation Ground, Newtown, has been revamped as part of a £10,000 Borough of Poole project.

Around 30 young people volunteered to assist council contractors in the design and construction of the circuit, following public consultation last year.

Last week the young volunteers joined council workers, who used excavators and dumper trucks to shift large loads of topsoil and create new ramps and jumps at the site.

Borough of Poole parks and open spaces cabinet portfolio holder, Cllr Xena Dion, below, said: “It’s great to see the local residents playing such a huge part in breathing new life into an important area of their community.

“It’s heart-warming to know there are so many enthusiastic young people out there who want to make a difference to the area in which they live, not only by shaping the area but for taking responsibility for it too.

“They are a credit to their generation and they should feel really proud of their achievements.”

A new gravel path and steps will be constructed at the site this springtime, together with further improvements around Haskell’s Recreation Ground.

Borough of Poole says the BMX works are being funded by developer contributions and form part of a wider scheme to improve open spaces and play areas across Newtown.

Newtown ward councillor Brian Clements, above, said: “It was a delight to be there for the design day when many young people and quite a few parents – some of them being experienced BMXers themselves – worked together to come up with a design that works for them and for the council.

“With the young people taking ‘ownership’ of this space, it is hoped that it will be respected and looked after into the future. The new layout also makes it easier for the council to maintain the verges and banks.”