A new £50,000 purpose-built BMX track has opened at Coventry Sport Foundation's (CSF) Alan Higgs Centre after the local authority secured government funding.

Coventry City Council was awarded the grant as part of the Playbuilder initiative, which was also used to help develop a new 'natural' play trail at the venue on Allard Way. The BMX track has been designed to complement the centre's existing skate park, while the play area has been built around the surrounding woods and aims to encourage young people to be more active.

Raffaella Tentindo of The Living Environment Trust, which carries out environmental management for CSF, said: "The BMX track will hopefully add to the success we have had with the skate park, and the natural play trail is a great environment for young people to play and develop their climbing and agility. "It's also extremely important that young people have the opportunity to play and explore the natural environment, and the natural play trail will provide that interaction between children and the natural environment."

Another £50,000 play area is scheduled to open at CSF's Xcel Leisure Centre later this month.