Changes have been made to plans for reed beds in Stonebridge Meadow, after Marlborough Town Council expressed fears that a small open pool area would create a drowning risk.

The proposal was originally put forward by Action for the River Kennet (ARK) in March and the town council supported the idea of removing walls and railings along Stonebridge Lane and introducing reed beds.

In the new proposal, which was supported by the council, the deeper water has been moved further away from the footpath, in order to reduce the hazard to pedestrians and cyclists.

The water depth would get progressively deeper and would be 1.5 metres at its highest, although the majority would be between 20cm and 30cms.

The council heard that signs would be put around the site to warn people of any water-related risks and the boardwalks would have either hand rails or raised edges.

Charlotte Hitchmough said: “I hope what we will create is something that will be interesting, an enjoyable place to visit, and will have educational benefits. I hope what we’ve got now is something that has more to offer the wider community.”

ARK has also been in talks with TH White to replacing a concrete wall, owned by the agricultural company, with a flint wall or beech hedge to be more in keeping with the rest of the town.

There were suggestions from the town council that a graffiti wall could be erected, where young people could work on a design with a professional artist.

Councillor Justin Cook said: “We should get the young people engaged in the site and every year we could repaint it and have a new design.”