Minor amendments have been submitted in a planning application by Devizes Town Council for the refurbishment of Hillworth Park.

The council wants to change the building materials to the community building and make amendments to the workshop building because bids by firms to carry out the work were in excess of the overall budget. The amendments will bring the scheme back in budget.

The cost of the building project is £1.5 million. The town council has received £1.2 million in funding from Parks for People, a joint enterprise between the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery.

Meanwhile the park will be closed from today as work begins on trees that need to be felled or pruned as part of the scheme.

The park is scheduled to be closed until the end of February while this work goes on.

Conservation works on the Queen Anne pavilion will start in March but the rest of the park will re-open.

The major landscaping and new build part of the project is due to take place in the summer.

This will include an all weather play surface and play equipment for young children and teenagers.

Town clerk Sarah Todhunter said, where possible, the park would be open but this would depend on the extent of the works involved.

All the work should be completed by this time next year.