Worcester City Council and Worcestershire County Council have joined forces to put a new footpath in a popular Worcester park.

The beloved Worcester Woods Country Park, visited by 700,000 people a year, will have 600 meters of its pathway refurbished this summer.

The wider, reinforced path will help the park remain usable for future generations.

Councillor Zoe Cookson, chairperson of Worcester City Council’s environment committee, said: "This existing path needs re-surfacing and improving so it can continue to be used by the whole community for years to come."

She added that the path benefits various community members, from dog walkers to cyclists, and supports organised groups like the Parkrun and Scouts.

She further emphasised the council's commitment to sustainable travel and protection of green spaces, adding: "Through collaborative working, we have found a solution that fulfils our commitment to making Worcester a healthy place to live and work, to improving active travel and to protecting our beautiful green spaces."

County Councillor David Ross said: "The Worcester Parkrun has been helping local people get active for over 13 years now.

"One of the factors that has made it special is its route through the woods and I am delighted to see that runners will be able to return there soon."

County Councillor Karen May added: "This area and the well-used path within the award-winning Worcester Woods Country Park is much loved and appreciated by the local community.

"It’s great to see that it will have a new lease of life and provide additional benefits to a wide range of community users."

The £15,000 footpath refurbishment is funded by the Active Travel Project of the Worcester City Town Improvement Plan and the Worcestershire County Council’s Public Health Directorate.

The improvement will help the park cope with the 400-500 runners joining the Worcester Parkrun every Saturday morning.