A £425,000 scheme to revitalise Oxford's parks, green spaces and play areas has been approved by city councillors.

Members of the council's executive board agreed on Monday, December 23, that money from the capital programme should be allocated immed- iately.

There will be a new £30,000 picnic area and water feature at Hinksey Pool off Abingdon Road, improved play equipment for children, and new streetsport sites at Gillians Park, Blackbird Leys, and Northway School.

But visitors to Shotover Country Park near Headington will have to wait until the new financial year for a £50,000 plan to reopen the public toilets.

The country park gets 750,000 visitors a year but the toilet block, once owned by South Oxfordshire District Council, has remained closed for the past 11 years.

Executive member for leisure Peter Johnson said: "Oxford is blessed with beautiful parks and green spaces but infrastructure in parks has deteriorated in recent years because of under-investment.

"People will next year see real improvements in our parks."