Plans to install a new BMX and skate track in Weymouth are well under way – and it could be here by the end of the year.

It is hoped that the new facility at Wyke Regis playing fields will provide a safe place for bikes, scooters and skateboards to be used.

The 40-metre long track will replace the current mud mounds at the playing fields, which Weymouth and Portland Borough Council says have become unstable and “not fit for purpose” over the years.

It will be the first time a council has provided an outdoor, free to use, standalone ‘pump’ track in the UK, according to the borough council. A pump track is a continuous loop of smooth mounds and curved berms. They can be ridden by cyclists of all ages and levels, and paved tracks can also be used by skateboarders and scooters.

Skatepark firm Maverick has been chosen to install the track, and last week it held a public consultation about how it should look and be run. Youngsters and adults attended the consultation at Wyke Regis Memorial Hall to have their say and take a look at concepts for the design of the track.

Poole-based Maverick specialises in the design and installation of spray concrete skateparks. It installed the well-used Little Fairfield skatepark in Dorchester, which has been the location of several Dorchester Skate Jam events.

The council says work will start at the end of November, weather permitting, and it is hoped the pump track will be ready in time for the Christmas holidays.

Cllr Kate Wheller, borough council spokesman for community facilities, has been pushing to get the project off the ground for several years.

She said: “This is a really exciting project, especially as it will be the first of its kind to be installed in the UK. There has been great demand for a facility where children can ride their bikes, scooters and skateboards safely.

"I think it is so important to provide these facilities to encourage people to be active and get outdoors. I am really looking forward to seeing the end result.”

In September, WPBC announced a £250,000 funding boost for community areas and parks in the borough. Up to £99k of the funding was made available for a Wyke Regis BMX track.