BUDLEIGH Salterton’s new £15,000 outdoor gym equipment is ready to use.

East Devon District Council has been working hard with Budleigh Salterton Town Council to provide Budleigh Salterton with the free-to-use outdoor gym that residents wanted.

Having an outdoor gym in Budleigh Salterton was proposed and chosen by the local community.

Last year Budleigh Salterton Town Council and EDDC asked community groups and others to put forward their ideas as to how £35,000 of sports funding accumulated from recent Budleigh Salterton housing developments (Section 106 money) should be spent.

East Devon District Council (EDDC), a group of Budleigh Salterton Town Councillors and healthcare professionals have been working together to provide Budleigh Salterton residents with the free-to-use outdoor gym that they want.

The outdoor gym facility has been proposed and chosen by the local community. Earlier in the year, EDDC and Budleigh Salterton Town Council asked community groups, residents and other organisations to put forward their ideas as to how £35,000 of the sports funding accumulated from recent Budleigh Salterton housing developments (Section 106 money) should be spent.

These ideas were then taken out to residents and they got to vote on which ones they wanted to happen in Budleigh Salterton. One of the winning ideas was to spend £15,000 on free-to-use outdoor gym facilities. The other project, the provision of a cycle path across The Green, is being progressed.

Budleigh Salterton Town Council, EDDC and the healthcare professionals researched possible locations and what types of equipment could be provided. They decided that most of the gym equipment will be best placed in a group on The Green and the rest will be put near Lime Kiln car park next to the children’s play area.

Residents got to choose from three different designs for the outdoor gyms at Budleigh Salterton late night shopping in December, the design with the most votes is the one that has now been installed by EDDC. Councillor Tom Wright, EDDCs Deputy Cabinet Member for the Environment and member of the Budleigh Salterton Town Council Working Party, said: “This is an excellent free of charge facility for Budleigh Salterton, provided by Budleigh Salterton Town Council and EDDC working in partnership. Thank you to all the residents that came out and voted for the projects as well as those who put forward the idea originally”.

Mark McGlade of Home Instead (which looks after older people in the local community) was one of the healthcare professionals that was involved in the project. He said: "The gym equipment is for everyone to enjoy, whether they are young or elderly.

"I've encountered people up to the age of 92 using the outdoor gym already! We are looking to organise a free exercise club for older people on the equipment. It's important for the health and wellbeing of older people that they exercise and have fun at the same time."