IMPROVEMENTS to Evesham's Abbey park are set to get under way this autumn.

The planned improvement scheme was agreed by Wychavon District Council's executive board on Tuesday night.

The work has been long planned, but the district has made one change after representations from Evesham Town Council.

Town councillors said they would like to see the order of work changed so the refurbishment of the boating pool was the first task to be carried out.

Work on the pool will be paid for from the £25,000 set aside for the scheme for 2002/2003. It includes resealing the concrete lining and removing what the council describes as "the old ugly storage area" for the paddle boats. The council hopes the pool can then be used for model boating.

The second stage of the scheme will see the paddling pool dug out and replaced with a planting area for herbaceous plants suited to the wet site.

District council parks officer Lynn Stevens said: "I think the two things can probably go ahead almost simultaneously if they bring next year's money forward, so we can do both pools at once."

She added: "It won't actually start until the autumn because we don't want to disrupt things in the tourism season and we need a few weeks to get quotes."

She said the county archaeological team also needed to be available to ensure than any historic remains under the pools - once the site of Evesham Abbey's fishing pools - were not disturbed.

The autumn will also see work get under way on another major project - measures to stop the erosion of the river bank, including a wooden retaining wall, a waterside towpath and sheet piling below water level to support the river edge.

Ms Stevens added: "It will be a hive of activity there in the autumn."

Future projects in the park for forthcoming years include new welcome signs at the main entrances to the park and installing a mosaic to replace shrubs at the front of the war memorial.