A new public fitness trail is set to be installed in Poulters Park in a bid to encourage healthy and active lifestyles.

The trail will be a path which comprises 10 pieces of equipment, set out along its length, to be used for exercising.

Sutton Council will pay £17,300 for the materials to be supplied and later installed, while five trees will be chopped down before they are replaced with five new ones.

Money for the project is coming out of the authority’s public realm revenue budget – coming down from £28,962 to now £10,602, according to a new report.

Mary Morrissey, the council’s strategic director for environment, housing and regeneration, said: “It is felt that Poulters Park requires more equipment that both children and adults can use, to encourage healthy and active lifestyles.

“Replacing the previously felled trees will improve the look and feel of the local area and improve air quality.”

Originally, there were plans to split the equipment over two locations – with six pieces of fitness trail equipment in St Helier Open Space and another six in Poulters Park.

But this was rejected by Sutton councillors because it was felt “the chosen area in Poulters Park currently had no equipment and, therefore, it was more of a priority than St Helier Open Space.”

While it’s not quite clear when the fitness trail will be installed and completed, £16,300 has been approved for the project.

The decision was made effective by Ms Morrissey from November 23.